错综复杂

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: cuò zōng fù zá
• English Translation: Intricate and complex (complicated and confusing)
• Idiom Composition: 「错」（Intertwined or crisscrossed）＋「综」（To weave or arrange threads (originally referring to the heddles of a loom)）＋「复」（Multiple or overlapping）＋「杂」（Miscellaneous or mixed）
• Meaning: A state where many elements are intertwined and crisscrossed, making it extremely difficult to untangle or organize. It emphasizes structural complexity rather than just difficulty.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「错综复杂」 contains the following nuances:

• Structural Complexity: The term 错综 (cuò zōng) refers to the crisscrossing of warp and weft threads on a loom, emphasizing that the structure of the matter is not a straight line but a web-like entanglement.
• Multifaceted Factors: It suggests that the state is not caused by a single factor, but rather by the coexistence of many elements such as relationships, interests, and historical backgrounds.

3. Usage

「错综复杂」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Analysis of cases or problems: A formal expression used when explaining situations where the truth is hard to uncover, such as criminal investigations, political issues, or conflicts.
  • Example:「这起案件背后的利益关系错综复杂，调查陷入了僵局。」
    （The interests behind this case are intricate and complex, and the investigation has reached a stalemate.）
• Human relationships and emotions: Describes mixed feelings of love and hate or relationships involving multiple groups that cannot be explained in a single word.
  • Example:「面对这位昔日的战友兼情敌，他的心情错综复杂。」
    （Facing his former comrade-in-arms and romantic rival, his feelings were extremely complicated.）
• Terrain or systems: Can be used for physical structures that are intertwined, such as maze-like alleys, wiring, or underground passages.
  • Example:「老城区的巷道错综复杂，外地人很容易迷路。」
    （The alleys in the old city are intricate and complex, making it easy for outsiders to get lost.）

Additional Examples:

1. 国际局势错综复杂，我们需要保持冷静的头脑。
   （The international situation is intricate and complex, and we need to maintain a cool head.）
2. 人体是一个错综复杂的系统，现代医学仍有许多未解之谜。
   （The human body is an intricate and complex system, and modern medicine still has many unsolved mysteries.）
3. 这部小说的情节错综复杂，引人入胜。
   （The plot of this novel is intricate and complex, drawing the reader in.）
4. 要理清这错综复杂的电线，恐怕得花上一整天。
   （To untangle these intricately knotted wires will probably take a whole day.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Origin: This idiom is derived from the Book of Changes (周易), specifically the Xici (系辞) section: '参伍以变，错综其数' (cān wǔ yǐ biàn, cuò zōng qí shù). It originally referred to the complex combinations and changes of numbers used in divination.
• Register: It is preferred in formal writing, news reports, and business contexts. Using it for trivial matters, like saying homework is 错综复杂 (cuò zōng fù zá), would sound overly dramatic.
• Nuance: The focus is on the 'intertwining' (交错) of elements rather than just the 'quantity' (繁多). It implies that solving the issue requires patient, thread-by-thread analysis.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 盘根错节 (pán gēn cuò jié): Twisted roots and gnarled branches; a metaphor for deeply rooted and complicated forces or problems.
  • 扑朔迷离 (pū shuò mí lí): Complicated and confusing; originally used to describe the difficulty of distinguishing the gender of a running rabbit.
  • 纵横交错 (zòng héng jiāo cuò): Crisscrossing in all directions.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 一目了然 (yí mù liǎo rán): To be clear at a single glance.link
  • 井然有序 (jǐng rán yǒu xù): In perfect order; neat and tidy.

6. Summary

The idiom 错综复杂 (cuò zōng fù zá) describes a situation where various factors are woven together like a web. It is a formal expression often used to describe the background of crimes, international relations, or complex human emotions where a simple explanation is impossible.