Chinese word

杂

Pronunciation

Pinyinzá

Meaning

  • adjectivemiscellaneous

Example

抽屉里都是杂物。chōu tì lǐ dōu shì zá wù

The drawer is full of miscellaneous items.

Illustration for 杂 (miscellaneous)

More examples

信息来源很杂，真假难辨。xìn xī lái yuán hěn zá zhēn jiǎ nán biàn

The information sources are mixed, so it is hard to tell what is true and what is false.

Core concept

A heap brings together many kinds of things without one clear pattern.

Common phrases

  • 混杂hùn zá

    mixed together

  • 杂货店zá huò diàn

    general store

  • 杂念zá niàn

    stray thoughts

Similar words

杂乱zá luàn: Arranged in a scattered, untidy way that lacks order.
混乱hùn luàn: Lacking order or sequence, so things are difficult to organize.
复杂fù zá: Made difficult to understand by many connected parts or relationships.

Definition in Chinese

表示由不同种类集合而成、缺乏统一性或秩序的状态，也可指由此产生的杂项或零碎物品。biǎo shì yóu bù tóng zhǒng lèi jí hé ér chéng quē fá tǒng yí xìng huò zhì xù de zhuàng tài yě kě zhǐ yóu cǐ chǎn shēng de zá xiàng huò líng suì wù pǐn

Word origin

杂 (zá, "mixed") is the simplified form of an older character used for the idea of different things gathered together.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, 杂 (zá, "mixed") often comes directly before a noun to classify assorted items, and it does not by itself suggest that they are dirty or badly made.

Other meanings

  • variedadjective
  • mixed-upadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 杂志zá zhìmagazinenoun
  • 杂货zá huòmiscellaneous goodsnoun
  • 混杂hùn zámixedadjective

Word lists with this word