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重度 (zhòng dù) — severe (degree); serious

Definition

A formal/medical label for the high end of a scale — used in phrases like 重度污染 or 重度抑郁, where English often needs 'severe' or 'acute'. Stronger than 严重 (mild-to-severe range); pairs almost exclusively with medical or environmental nouns.

adjective
severe (degree)serious

Examples

  • 重度。
    Zhè wèi huàn zhě huàn yǒu zhòng dù yì yù zhèng.
    This patient suffers from severe depression.
  • 重度。
    Gāi dì qū jīng lì le zhòng dù kōng qì wū rǎn.
    The region experienced severe air pollution.
  • 重度。
    Tā yīn zhòng dù shāo shāng bèi sòng jìn yī yuàn.
    He was sent to the hospital due to severe burns.

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.

重zhòngsevere
度dùdegree

The meaning of 重 as severe combines with 度 as degree to indicate a serious level.

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
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 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí度dù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Open 度 →
Appears in
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