错落有致

錯落有致

cuòluòyǒuzhì

idiom #65,344

Meanings

1 arranged in picturesque disorder (idiom)
2 pleasingly irregular; artfully uneven
3 varied yet tasteful

Characters

interlaced; uneven

to fall; scattered

Examples

园林里的假山错落有致。

Yuánlín lǐ de jiǎshān cuòluòyǒuzhì.

The rockery in the garden is arranged with pleasing irregularity.

山坡上的民居错落有致，十分好看。

Shānpō shàng de mínjū cuòluòyǒuzhì, shífēn hǎokàn.

The houses on the hillside are arranged in a picturesque, uneven pattern.

她把书架上的书摆得错落有致。

Tā bǎ shūjià shàng de shū bǎi de cuòluòyǒuzhì.

She arranged the books on the shelf in an artfully uneven way.

Tips

usage

A favorite of Chinese garden, architecture, and interior-design writing. The key idea is 'irregular but intentional' — randomness that pleases the eye, not mess. Don't use for genuinely chaotic arrangements.

memory

错落 = uneven/scattered; 致 here = 情致 (taste, charm). Literally 'uneven with taste' — unevenness that has been done right.

Stroke Order

错 cuò

落 luò

有 yǒu

致 zhì