confundir

Senses

1. 1.

   to confuse, to mix up

   to mistake one thing or person for another

2. 2.

   to confuse, to perplex

   to make someone uncertain or unable to think clearly

3. 3.

   to confound, to embarrass

   to cause someone to feel ashamed or disconcerted

Examples

• "Sempre confundo os gêmeos porque eles são muito parecidos."

  I always mix up the twins because they look so alike.

• "Não confunda gentileza com fraqueza."

  Don't confuse kindness with weakness.

• "As instruções complicadas confundiram todos os alunos."

  The complicated instructions confused all the students.

Usage

Common verb typically used with the preposition "com" (confundir A com B = to confuse A with B). The reflexive form "confundir-se" means "to get confused" or "to make a mistake." Very frequent in everyday speech across all registers.