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复杂 (fù zá) — complicated, complex

Definition

Use 复杂 for situations, problems, or systems with many interconnected parts. Compared to 繁杂, it focuses on structural intricacy rather than messy diversity.

adjective
complicatedcomplex

Examples

  • 复杂，。
    Zhè ge jì huà tài fù zá le, wǒ men xū yào jiǎn huà yí xià.
    This plan is too complicated; we need to simplify it a bit.
  • 复杂，。
    Tā de xiǎng fǎ hěn fù zá, wǒ yì shí tīng bù dǒng.
    His thoughts are very complex; I couldn't understand them right away.
  • 复杂，。
    Zhè ge jī qì de cāo zuò hěn fù zá, xū yào péi xùn.
    The operation of this machine is complicated and requires training.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

复fùcomplicated
杂zámixed

复 means 'complicated' and 杂 means 'mixed', together describing something complex.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 復; 复 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 复 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (复习, 恢复) it is 復; in others (复印, 复杂) (答复, 反复) it is 複 or 覆.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chìwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
复
复fù復fù
Same sound today

The traditional form 復 combines 彳, a walking part, with 复, a sound part, to show walking back and forth.

Open 复 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 雜; 杂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
集
集jí雜zá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雜 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 集 as a sound part, originally referring to mixed colours, perhaps in dyed clothes; the simplified 杂 is a later shorthand.

Open 杂 →
Appears in
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