繁琐 (fánsuǒ) is an adjective meaning 'complicated', 'cumbersome', or 'overly detailed and tedious'. It combines two characters: 繁 (fán), meaning 'complex', 'numerous', or 'prolific', and 琐 (suǒ), meaning 'trivial', 'petty', or 'insignificant'. Together, they evoke a sense of excessive, unnecessary detail that makes a task or process feel burdensome and hard to manage.

This word is commonly used to describe administrative procedures, paperwork, household chores, technical instructions, or any situation where many small, fussy steps slow things down. It carries a slightly negative connotation — implying inefficiency or lack of elegance in design — and is often heard in complaints about bureaucracy, software interfaces, or outdated rules. While it can occasionally appear in formal writing, it’s more frequent in spoken Mandarin when expressing mild frustration or criticism about unnecessary complexity.