繁复 (fán fù) — (stative verb) complicated and cumbersome; over-elaborate

Definition

Complicated and over-elaborate — carries a stronger sense of excessive ornamentation or unnecessary detail than 复杂 (merely complex), often used to criticize overly ornate style or design.

adjective
(stative verb) complicated and cumbersomeover-elaborate

Examples

  • 繁复，。
    Zhè ge liú chéng tài fán fù le, xū yào jiǎn huà.
    This process is too complicated; it needs to be simplified.
  • 繁复。
    Zhè zhǒng fán fù de huā wén bú shì hé xiàn dài fēng gé.
    This kind of intricate pattern doesn't suit a modern style.
  • 繁复，。
    Tā de wén zhāng yǔ yán fán fù, dú qǐ lái hěn fèi jìn.
    His article's language is over-elaborate; it's hard to read.

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.

繁fáncomplex
复fùrepeated

繁 means many or complex and 复 means repeated, together describing something over-elaborate.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
敏
敏mǐn繁fán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

繁 pairs 敏, a sound part, with 糸, meaning silk.

Open 繁 →

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 →

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