複

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

衣 (옷 의) — semantic component, indicating that the word’s original meaning relates to clothing or layering.

复 (회복할 복 / 다시 부) — phonetic component, giving the sound fù and contributing a sense of return or repetition.

衣 + 复 → 複

literally, “a garment folded or layered again,”

hence “to cover again,” “to repeat,” “to overlap.”

重複 (중복) — repetition, duplication

複製 (복제) — reproduction, replication

複雜 (복잡) — complexity, complication

反複 (반복) — to repeat, recurrence

複合 (복합) — composite, compound

恢複 (회복) — recovery, restoration

複活 (복활) — revival, resurrection

複習 (복습) — review, re-study

In Daoist and Confucian thought, 複 carries profound symbolic meaning — the principle of returning to origin (復, also pronounced fù).

Though the two graphs differ, they are etymologically and semantically intertwined.

復命曰複，複者反本也。

“To return to one’s destiny is called ‘復’; returning means to go back to the root” — Dao De Jing (道德經 · 第40章, commentary).

Thus, 複 embodies the cyclical nature of existence — every action folds back upon its source.

In later literature, 複 often symbolizes the union of opposites and the coexistence of layers — emotional, moral, or intellectual.

心之複者，非惑也，乃誠之深也。

“The complexity of the heart is not confusion, but depth of sincerity.”

This captures the Confucian insight that multiplicity (複), when guided by moral clarity, produces richness rather than chaos.

In classical aesthetics, 複 is used to describe layered beauty — whether in garments, music, or verse.

聲有重複之妙，文有層複之美。

“Sound has the charm of repetition; writing has the beauty of layered depth.”

The character thus reflects both physical layering (in fabric or sound) and conceptual complexity (in thought and expression).