When combined, 纳闷 (nà mèn) literally means “to take in a stuffy feeling.” It perfectly captures that experience of observing something illogical that gets stuck in your mind, leaving you with an unresolved, “stuffy” feeling of confusion.
While `纳闷` is a universal feeling, its common use in Chinese reflects a cultural tendency towards observation and indirectness. In many Western cultures, it's common to immediately voice confusion by asking, “Wait, why did you do that?” or “I don't get it.” In contrast, `纳闷` often describes the internal monologue that happens before speaking up, if one speaks up at all. It’s the private mental process of trying to figure out a social situation or someone's unexpected behavior. A person might feel `纳闷` but choose not to ask directly to avoid causing confrontation or making the other person lose face (面子, miànzi). It's a more passive and introspective form of confusion, highlighting a cultural value of observing and understanding context before acting. Think of it as the difference between watching a friend show up to a summer picnic in a winter coat and immediately saying, “Why are you wearing that?” versus quietly thinking to yourself, “I wonder why he's wearing that… is he sick? Is it a joke?” That internal pondering is the essence of `纳闷`.
`纳闷` is a very common, informal word used in everyday conversation. It's almost always used to describe one's own feelings or to speculate about the feelings of others.
Its connotation is neutral. It simply states a feeling of confusion without judgment.