The kanji 迷 primarily conveys the idea of being lost, confused, or bewildered. It suggests a state of disorientation, uncertainty, or lacking direction, whether physically or mentally. It implies an inability to find the correct path, understand a situation, or make a clear decision.

・On-yomi (音読み): メイ (mei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): まよ-う (mayo-u)

⚫︎道に迷う Translation: To get lost on the road. ⚫︎迷路 Translation: Labyrinth; maze. ⚫︎迷惑メール Translation: Spam email; phishing email.

The kanji 迷 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phonetic-semantic compound. The phonetic component is 米 (mai), meaning "rice" or "grain". The semantic component is 辶 (shinnyou - a variant of しんにょう (shinnyou)), which is a radical that indicates "to go" or "movement". Originally, the character depicted rice spread in all directions, creating confusion about the path. Over time, it came to be used to express the general idea of being lost or confused.