What is the difference between 安排 and 布置

Question

Both mean "organize" but is there any different between these two words?

Answer 1

安 = to install; 排 = to arrange

安排 = to arrange; to set up (arrange/ set up objects in order and or in different placement base on a detailed plan) ; to plan for

~

佈 = to distribute; 置 = to place

佈置 = to arrange; to set up (arrange/ set up objects in place)

~

When detailed planing is involved, you have to use 安排. The key word is 排 (to arrange)

Example:

安排他的孩子去美国读书 (arrange his children to go to US to study)- it involve a plan

把殺手佈置在會埸中 (place assassins in the meeting place)- it only describe the act of placing assassins

~

Use 佈置 when you are just placing objects into position. The key word is 置 (to place)

Example:

佈置路障 = set up (to place) roadblocks

佈置內應 = set up (to place) inside men

佈置陷阱 = set up trap (to place trap(s) in one or more locations)

Planning or order doesn't matter

~

安排路障 = arrange roadblocks (according to a plan)

安排內應 = arrange inside men (according to a plan)

安排陷阱 = arrange trap (according to a plan)

planning or order matters

佈置 and 安排 can be used as a noun

Example:

一個佈置 = a set up

一個安排 = an arrangement

Answer 2

安排is more often used with people to assign them to a position or prepare them for something. 布置is more often used on things like concrete items like a room. May be used on events such as create a scene in a movie set.

That doesn't mean we can't interchange them in sentences to get the same meanings， yeah, you could almost say they are the same.

Here are examples where 布置 and 安排 are different：

布置一个房间（Furnishing a room)

安排一个房间(Assign a room( to someone))

布置餐桌 (Arrange a dinning table)

安排餐桌(Assign a dinning table(To someone))

天子离乡， 布置坐御床(Prince is leaving, so decorate the bed while he is gone)

天子离乡， 安排坐御床(Prince is leaving, so prepare the bed to carry him)

Here are examples where they could be interchange to create the same sentences:

教授给我们布置啦一周的作业（The professor assigned a week of homeworks).

教授给我们安排啦一周的作业（Same as before）

布置这陷阱的人实在做的天衣无缝（Whoever set this trap did it flawlessly) 安排这陷阱的人实在做的天衣无缝（same， although we could replace set with initiate）.

So you see, 安排 could mean something that hasn't happen yet(AS it sometimes mean prepare) whereas 布置 most often mean something that has been done already.