烦琐 (fán suǒ) — tedious and convoluted; overly detailed or complex to the point of being tiresome

Definition

Describes procedures, rules, or tasks that are overloaded with detail and slow to get through. It focuses on the reader's/experiencer's tedium, not on objective complexity.

adjective
tedious and convolutedoverly detailed or complex to the point of being tiresome
Easily confused

Examples

  • 烦琐，。
    Zhè xiē guī dìng tài fán suǒ le, méi rén néng jì zhù.
    These rules are too tedious; no one can remember them.
  • 烦琐。
    Wǒ bù xǐ huan zuò fán suǒ de jiā wù huó.
    I don't like doing fiddly household chores.
  • 烦琐，。
    Tā de jiě shì hěn fán suǒ, fǎn ér ràng rén gèng hú tu.
    His explanation was so convoluted that it just made people more confused.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

烦fántroublesome
琐suǒtrivial

烦 conveys trouble and 琐 conveys petty detail, together describing something tedious and overly complicated.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 煩; 烦 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 煩, the shape is made from 火 (fire) and 頁 (head).

Open 烦 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 琐 →

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