复杂 (fùzá)

复杂 describes something that has many parts, layers, or factors that make it difficult to understand, analyze, or handle. It can describe situations, problems, systems, relationships, or feelings.

Meanings

[adjective] Complex; complicated; intricate; involved.

Example Sentences

这个案件涉及多方利益，情况十分复杂。 Zhège ànjian shèjí duō fāng lìyì, qíngkuàng shífēn fùzá. This case involves the interests of multiple parties, and the situation is extremely complex.

学习一门语言是一个复杂的过程，需要长期坚持。 Xuéxí yī mén yǔyán shì yīgè fùzá de guòchéng, xūyào cháng qī jiānchí. Learning a language is a complicated process that requires long-term perseverance.

他们之间的关系非常复杂，外人很难理解。 Tāmen zhī jiān de guānxi fēicháng fùzá, wàirén hěn nán lǐjiě. The relationship between them is very complicated and difficult for outsiders to understand.

随着技术的进步，软件系统变得越来越复杂，维护难度也随之增加。 Suízhe jìshù de jìnbù, ruǎnjiàn xìtǒng biàn dé yuèláiyuè fùzá, wéihù nándù yě suízhī zēngjiā. As technology advances, software systems are becoming increasingly complex, and the difficulty of maintenance is also rising.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
复杂情况	complex situation
十分复杂	extremely complex
错综复杂	intricate and complex
复杂关系	complicated relationship
复杂问题	complex problem

Usage Notes

The antonym of 复杂 is 简单 (jiǎndān, simple). The phrase 错综复杂 (cuòzōng fùzá) is a four-character idiom (chengyu) meaning "intricate and complicated," often used for situations involving many crossing threads or interests. 复杂 can also describe emotions: 心情很复杂 (my feelings are mixed/complicated) is a common expression.

Memory Hook

复 means "repeated/multiple" and 杂 means "mixed/miscellaneous." Something 复杂 is made of multiple things mixed together in a way that is hard to sort out — like a tangled ball of different-colored threads.