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轻重 (qīng zhòng) — severity, degree of seriousness, importance, weight (of a matter, illness, or one's words)

Definition

轻重 (qīng zhòng) is a noun meaning the severity or importance of a matter — how much weight it carries. Unlike 重 alone ('heavy / serious'), 轻重 frames the assessment, as in 病情的轻重 ('how serious the illness is').

noun
severitydegree of seriousnessimportanceweight (of a matter, illness, or one's words)

Examples

  • 轻重，。
    Yī shēng yào xiān pàn duàn bìng qíng de qīng zhòng, zài jué dìng zěn me zhì liáo.
    The doctor must first assess the severity of the illness, then decide how to treat it.
  • 轻重，。
    Tā shuō huà zǒng shì bù zhī qīng zhòng, dé zuì le hěn duō rén.
    He always speaks without knowing the weight of his words, and has offended many people.
  • 轻重，。
    Zhè jiàn shì de qīng zhòng dà jiā dōu hěn qīng chǔ, bú yòng zài tǎo lùn le.
    Everyone is very clear on the importance of this matter; there's no need to discuss it further.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

轻qīnglight
重zhòngheavy

轻 means light and 重 means heavy, together naming weight or seriousness.

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 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →

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 5Abstract Concepts

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