複合

• Reading: ふくごう
• Romaji: fukugō
• Kanji breakdown: 複 (fuku) — multiple, compound, duplicate; 合 (gō) — combine, join, fit
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.kɯ.go.ɯ/

Meaning

Composite; combined; complex. Describes something formed by combining multiple elements into one.

A noun and adjectival noun used to describe things made up of multiple components: 複合施設 (a multipurpose complex), 複合語 (a compound word). Also functions as a suru-verb meaning to combine or compound. Distinguished from 混合 (kongō, mixing) — 複合 implies structured combination where components retain identity, while 混合 implies blending.

Examples

1. 駅前に大きな複合施設ができた。 A large multipurpose complex was built in front of the station.
2. 日本語には複合語がたくさんある。 Japanese has a ton of compound words.
3. 複合的な要因が重なって事故が起きた。 The accident happened due to a combination of multiple factors.

Usage Guide

Context: business, academia, architecture

Tone: technical

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 複 (fuku, multiple/compound) + 合 (gō, combine/join). Literally 'multiply combined' — multiple things joined together.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated