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繁重 (fán zhòng) — heavy, burdensome, arduous (especially of tasks, work, responsibilities)

Definition

Describes tasks or responsibilities that are heavy in both quantity and difficulty — more intense than 沉重. Unlike 辛苦, which describes how the work feels to the person, 繁重 focuses on the workload itself.

adjective
heavyburdensomearduous (especially of tasks, work, responsibilities)

Examples

  • 繁重。
    Lǐng dǎo jiāo gěi tā yí xiàng fán zhòng de rèn wu.
    The leader assigned him a heavy task.
  • 繁重。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù de gōng zuò liàng fēi cháng fán zhòng.
    The workload of this project is very heavy.
  • 繁重。
    Dān rèn zhè ge zhí wèi yào chéng dān fán zhòng de zé rèn.
    To hold this position, you must take on heavy responsibilities.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

繁fánmany
重zhòngheavy

繁 suggests many tasks and 重 suggests heaviness; together they describe work that is burdensome.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
敏
敏mǐn繁fán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

繁 pairs 敏, a sound part, with 糸, meaning silk.

Open 繁 →

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 7-9Good & Bad

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