TongTong
Sign in

侧重 (cè zhòng) — to place particular emphasis on; to focus on

Definition

侧重 (cèzhòng) is a verb meaning 'to place emphasis on / to focus on,' typically followed by what is emphasized. Pairs with 着重 (more formal/literary); against 重点 (noun 'focus/key point') and 针对 (targets a specific audience or issue).

verb
to place particular emphasis onto focus on

Examples

  • 侧重。
    Zhè ge kè chéng cè zhòng kǒu yǔ xùn liàn.
    This course places particular emphasis on oral practice.
  • 侧重。
    Gōng sī de fā zhǎn zhàn lüè cè zhòng chuàng xīn.
    The company's development strategy focuses on innovation.
  • 侧重。
    Tā de bào gào cè zhòng fēn xī shì chǎng qū shì.
    His report places particular emphasis on analyzing market trends.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

侧cèto place to one side
重zhòngweight

侧重 combines 侧, meaning to place to one side, with 重, meaning weight or importance, to express focusing on what matters.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 側; 侧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
則
則zé側cè
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 側 has 亻, a person, and uses 則 to show its sound. The simplified 侧 is a later shorthand.

Open 侧 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.