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沉重 (chén zhòng) — heavy (in weight); serious, grave, heavy (in mood, task, or consequence)

Definition

Covers both literal weight and figurative heaviness of mood or consequences. 严重 focuses on severity (problems, situations), while 沉重 adds an emotional or weighty burden.

adjective
heavy (in weight)seriousgraveheavy (in mood, task, or consequence)

Examples

  • 沉重，。
    Zhè ge xiāng zi hěn chén zhòng, wǒ bān bú dòng.
    This suitcase is very heavy; I can't lift it.
  • ，沉重。
    Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā de xīn qíng shí fēn chén zhòng.
    Upon hearing this news, his mood became very heavy.
  • 沉重。
    Zhè cì shì gù de hòu guǒ fēi cháng chén zhòng.
    The consequences of this accident are very serious.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

沉chénheavy
重zhòngweighty

沉 = heavy, 重 = weighty; together: heavy or serious.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 沉 →

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 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Emotions & FeelingsSize & Dimension

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