二缶钟惑 — “To be confused about fundamental principles or common sense”

二缶钟惑 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be confused about fundamental principles or common sense”. Unable to distinguish between basic right and wrong.

Frequency

二缶钟惑 Pronunciation and Pinyin

二缶钟惑 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
二	èr	2	the number two
缶	fǒu	6	ancient pottery wine vessel
钟	zhōng	9	bell, clock, hour, concentrate
惑	huò	12	confuse, mislead, or bewitch

Example Sentence with 二缶钟惑

面对复杂的现象，如果不能保持清醒的头脑，就很容易二缶钟惑。

When confronted with complex phenomena, one can easily become confused about fundamental principles if they fail to maintain a clear mind.

Origin and Story of 二缶钟惑

During the Warring States period, the philosopher Zhuangzi illustrated the concept of "Er Fou Zhong Huo" (literally "two pots, bells, confused") in his work *Zhuangzi*.

He observed that if three people undertook a task and one was confused, the task might still be accomplished. However, if two were confused, the task would surely fail.

Zhuangzi lamented that in his time, people were universally bewildered. Elevated and profound ideas could not enter their minds, yet they showed great interest in vulgar and trivial matters, much like someone being unable to discern the capacities of a *fou* (earthen jar) and a *zhong* (bell-shaped vessel).

The idiom thus signifies being unable to distinguish between basic principles or common sense.