重磅 (zhòng bàng) — powerful, heavy (of bombs, impacts); significan… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A written/media term meaning 'heavyweight, blockbuster' — used to emphasize impact, as in 重磅新闻 ('major news') or 重磅炸弹 ('heavy bomb'). Always modifies a noun; it is not a general adjective for 'heavy'.

adjective

powerfulheavy (of bombs, impacts)significantblockbuster (of news, announcements)heavy-duty (of fabric)

Examples

重磅。
Zhè méi zhòng bàng zhà dàn wēi lì jù dà.
This heavy bomb has tremendous power.
重磅，。
Jīn tiān chū le yì tiáo zhòng bàng xīn wén, dà jiā dōu hěn jīng yà.
A major news story came out today, and everyone was shocked.
重磅，。
Zhè zhǒng zhòng bàng bù liào hěn nài yòng, shì hé zuò gōng zuò fú.
This heavy-duty fabric is very durable, suitable for work clothes.

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 sense of 重 as heavy combines with 磅 as a unit of weight to suggest something weighty and impactful.

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

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

石旁磅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

石石shírock; stone

Sound part声符shēngfú

旁

旁páng磅bàng

Same sound today

磅 is built from 石, meaning rock or stone, and 旁, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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