複雑な (ふくざつな) — Japanese Vocabulary
複雑な (ふくざつな / fukuzatsu na): complicated. N4 level Japanese vocabulary.
複雑な — ふくざつな (fukuzatsu na)
Part of speech: adj-na JLPT level: N4 Reading: ふくざつな (fukuzatsu na) Meaning: complicated, complex
Word Breakdown
- 複 (fuku): To repeat, double, or compound.
- On-yomi: フク (fuku)
- Kun-yomi: かさ.なる (kasa.naru - to overlap)
- 雑 (zatsu): Miscellaneous, rough, or mixed.
- On-yomi: ザツ (zatsu), ゾウ (zou)
- Kun-yomi: まじ.る (maji.ru - to be mixed)
Together, the kanji literally describe things that are "doubled and mixed," resulting in something intricate or complicated.
All Readings
- 複 (fuku):
- On-yomi: フク (fuku) — Used in this word.
- 雑 (zatsu):
- On-yomi: ザツ (zatsu) — Used in this word.
Example Sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 状況は複雑です。 | じょうきょうはふくざつです。 | Joukyou wa fukuzatsu desu. | The situation is complicated. |
| 複雑な機械ですね。 | ふくざつなきかいですね。 | Fukuzatsu na kikai desu ne. | It's a complicated machine, isn't it? |
| 彼は複雑な性格です。 | かれはふくざつなせいかくです。 | Kare wa fukuzatsu na seikaku desu. | He has a complex personality. |
| 手続きが複雑すぎる。 | てつづきがふくざつすぎる。 | Tetsuzuki ga fukuzatsu sugiru. | The procedure is too complicated. |
| もっと複雑な問題です。 | もっとふくざつなもんだいです。 | Motto fukuzatsu na mondai desu. | It is a more complicated problem. |
| 複雑な感情を抱く。 | ふくざつなかんじょうをいだく。 | Fukuzatsu na kanjou o idaku. | To harbor complex feelings. |
| 仕組みはそんなに複雑じゃない。 | しくみはそんなにふくざつじゃない。 | Shikumi wa sonna ni fukuzatsu janai. | The mechanism isn't that complicated. |
| 複雑なパズルを解いた。 | ふくざつなぱずるをといた。 | Fukuzatsu na pazuru o toita. | I solved a complicated puzzle. |
Related Words and Compounds
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 単純な | たんじゅんな | tanjun na | simple |
| 複雑化 | ふくざつか | fukuzatsuka | complication |
| 複雑さ | ふくざつさ | fukuzatsusa | complexity |
| 混雑 | こんざつ | konzatsu | congestion |
| 雑音 | ざつおん | zatsuon | noise/static |
| 複数 | ふくすう | fukusuu | multiple |
| 複雑怪奇 | ふくざつかいき | fukuzatsukaiki | complex and mysterious |
Common Mistakes
- ❌ 複雑な (fukuzatsu na) vs. 難しい (muzukashii):
- ✓ 複雑な refers to the structure or nature of something (intricate).
- ✓ 難しい refers to the difficulty of doing something (hard).
- Explanation: Don't say "The homework is complicated" (複雑な宿題) if you mean "The homework is hard to do" (難しい宿題). Use fukuzatsu for things with many parts or layers.
- ❌ Using it as an i-adjective:
- ❌ 複雑い (fukuzatsui) → ✓ 複雑な (fukuzatsu na).
- Explanation: Fukuzatsu is a na-adjective. It must be followed by "na" when modifying a noun.
In Context — Mini Dialogue
A: この機械、使い方がよく分からないよ。 (Kono kikai, tsukaikata ga yoku wakaranai yo.) "I don't really understand how to use this machine."
B: そうだね。少し複雑な仕組みになっているからね。 (Sou da ne. Sukoshi fukuzatsu na shikumi ni natte iru kara ne.) "Yeah, that's true. It has a slightly complicated mechanism."
A: 説明書を読んでも難しいね。 (Setsumeisho o yonde mo muzukashii ne.) "Even reading the manual is difficult, isn't it?"
Usage Notes
- Nuance: Fukuzatsu is used for systems, machines, human relationships, and abstract concepts. It carries a neutral tone—it is not inherently negative, though it often implies that something is difficult to manage or understand.
- Collocations: You will frequently hear it paired with words like shikumi (mechanism), mondai (problem), or kanjou (feelings). When describing human emotions, fukuzatsu na kanjou (complex feelings) is a very common way to express mixed emotions (e.g., feeling both happy and sad at the same time).
- Antonyms: The most direct opposite is tanjun (simple). If you are describing a task that is easy to perform, use kantan (easy/simple) instead of tanjun.