双重 (shuāng chóng) — double; dual | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

An adjective meaning 'double / dual', modifying a noun to signal two layers or functions at once (双重目的, 双重作用). Compared to 双 (a pair-classifier for things that come in twos) and 倍 (a multiplier 'times'), 双重 describes a quality, not a count.

adjective

doubledual

Examples

双重。
Zhè ge jì huà yǒu shuāng chóng mù dì.
This plan has a dual purpose.
双重。
Tā bàn yǎn le shuāng chóng jué sè.
She played a dual role.
双重。
Zhè zhǒng yào wù yǒu shuāng chóng zuò yòng.
This type of medicine has a dual effect.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

The parts 双 meaning two and 重 meaning layer combine to mean double or dual.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

又又双

又又yòu
又又yòu

双 is made of two 又 parts side by side. Repeating 又 gives the sense of a pair.

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

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Quantity & Amount

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