Chinese word

纵横交错

Pronunciation

Pinyinzòng héng jiāo cuò

Meaning

  • idiomcrisscross

Example

这座城市的街道纵横交错，很容易迷路。zhè zuò chéng shì de jiē dào zòng héng jiāo cuò hěn róng yì mí lù

The streets in this city crisscross, so it is easy to get lost.

Illustration for 纵横交错 (crisscross)

More examples

不同的势力在当地纵横交错，使得局势复杂难测。bù tóng de shì lì zài dāng dì zòng héng jiāo cuò shǐ de jú shì fù zá nán cè

Different forces crisscross in the area, making the situation complex and hard to predict.

Core concept

Lines, routes, or connections cross in many directions and form a dense network that is hard to follow.

Common phrases

  • 街道纵横交错jiē dào zòng héng jiāo cuò

    crisscrossing streets

  • 道路纵横交错dào lù zòng héng jiāo cuò

    crisscrossing roads

  • 关系纵横交错guān xì zòng héng jiāo cuò

    intertwined relationships

Similar words

错综复杂cuò zōng fù zá: Involving many connected parts that make the whole difficult to understand or organize.
蜿蜒曲折wān yán qū zhé: Winding and twisting, with a route or process that does not move in a simple way.

Definition in Chinese

常用于描写街道、线路或关系在纵横方向上互相交叠，形成复杂的网状结构，难以理清头绪。cháng yòng yú miáo xiě jiē dào xiàn lù huò guān xì zài zòng héng fāng xiàng shàng hù xiāng jiāo dié xíng chéng fù zá de wǎng zhuàng jié gòu nán yǐ lǐ qīng tóu xù

Word origin

纵 (zòng, "vertical") and 横 (héng, "horizontal") name the two directions, while 交 (jiāo, "cross") and 错 (cuò, "interlace") show them meeting and weaving through one another.

Usage tips

  • This four-character idiom suits compact descriptions and written explanations, while a plain explanation is often easier for listeners in a casual exchange.

Other meanings

  • be intricately interlacedidiom
  • be tangledidiom

Opposites

  • 秩序井然zhì xù jǐng ránorderlyidiom
  • 井然有序jǐng rán yǒu xùwell-organizedidiom

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