Translation guide
This English phrase can mean being confused with someone/something else, being involved in something bad, or being physically mixed together. Japanese uses different expressions for each meaning.
To mistake one person or thing for another, or to confuse two things.
Passive form of 混同する (to confuse). Used when someone or something is mistaken for another.
He is often mixed up with his younger brother.
Passive of 間違える (to mistake). Common in casual speech.
This word is often mixed up with another word.
Passive of 取り違える (to take one for another). More formal/literary.
The document was mixed up with another one.
To be associated with or caught up in a troublesome situation, often with bad people.
Passive of 巻き込む (to involve). Implies being unwillingly dragged into trouble.
He got mixed up in the incident.
～ている form of 関わる (to be involved). Neutral, can be voluntary or involuntary.
He is mixed up with a shady business.
～ている form of 付き合う (to associate with). Often implies socializing with bad company.
Things are combined or jumbled together, often in a disorderly way.
～ている form of 混ざる (to be mixed). Intransitive, for substances or items.
The papers are all mixed up together.
～ている form of 混じる (to be mixed in). Emphasizes something being mixed into something else.
The sand is mixed up with pebbles.
Colloquial phrase meaning things are jumbled or in a mess.
The English phrase 'be mixed up with' covers several distinct concepts. Using a single Japanese word for all cases will sound unnatural. Choose based on the intended meaning: confusion, involvement, or physical mixing.
He is mixed up with a bad crowd.
The drawer is all mixed up.