Best translation for “confused”: 迷惑，困惑，弄混，搞亂，搞混？

Question

This page lists multiple entries for confused:

https://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/dictionary.php

What's the best translation for confused in these contexts:

1) English: "What you just said confused me."

2) English: "I was confused by what she did."

3) Are there general differences among 迷惑，困惑，弄混，搞亂，搞混 (e.g., some are more formal, some are for specific contexts)?

4) For the preceding answers, are there any differences between Mandarin and Cantonese?

Answer 1

迷惑 and 困惑 can both be verb or adjective

迷 (deceive)

惑 (confuse)

迷惑 = to confuse (deceive someone and make him confused)

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困 (trap)

惑(confuse)

困惑 = to confuse (trap someone in a confusion)

We use 迷惑 for "to confuse" to emphasize the deception part

Example: 用妖言迷惑群眾 (妖言惑眾) - use lies and rumors to deceive and confuse the public

We use 困惑 for "to confuse" to emphasize the trapping part

Example: 各人不同的口供困惑了調查人員 - Everyone’s different stories confused investigators (trapped them into a confusion with different stories- but there may or may not be deceptions)

弄混，搞亂，搞混 are just different versions of shortened form of "弄/搞 (make-v) 混亂 (confusing-adj)"

e.g. 搞亂局面 = 使局面混亂 (make situation confusing)

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1) English: "What you just said confused me."

她剛才說的話(搞得)我(混亂了)

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2) English: "I was confused by what she did."

我被她剛才說的話(搞得混亂了)

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4) For the preceding answers, are there any differences between Mandarin and Cantonese?

The grammar are the same, the terms may be different.

"你剛才說的話搞得我混亂了" (M)

"你頭先講嘅嘢搞到我好混亂" (C)

"我被你剛才說的話搞得混亂了" (M)

"我被你頭先講嘅嘢搞到好混亂" (C)