举重若轻 (jǔ zhòng ruò qīng) — to handle difficult tasks with ease; to do something important or demanding as if it were effortless

Definition

A set idiom praising someone for making a hard task look easy. Compare with 轻而易举, which focuses on the task itself being simple, while 举重若轻 emphasizes the person performing impressively under difficulty.

idiom
to handle difficult tasks with easeto do something important or demanding as if it were effortless

Examples

  • 举重若轻，。
    Tā zài wēi jī zhōng biǎo xiàn dé jǔ zhòng ruò qīng, ràng rén pèi fú.
    He handled the crisis with such ease that everyone admired him.
  • 举重若轻，。
    Zhè wèi jiāng jūn zhǐ huī dǎ zhàng jǔ zhòng ruò qīng, cóng bù huāng zhāng.
    This general commands battles as if they were easy, never panicking.
  • 举重若轻，。
    Tā shēn jiān shù zhí què jǔ zhòng ruò qīng, xiào lǜ jí gāo.
    She juggles multiple roles effortlessly and with great efficiency.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

举重lift heavy
举jǔlift重zhòngheavy
动宾Verb + object
若轻seem light
若ruòas if轻qīnglight
动宾Verb + object

举重 (lifting heavy) is shown as 若轻 (seeming light), giving the idea of ease with difficult tasks.

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 舉; 举 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
與
與yǔ舉jǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 舉 pairs 與, which gives the sound, with 手, a hand; the simplified 举 is a later shorthand.

Open 举 →

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

若 began as a picture of a person combing their hair, associated with obedience.

Open 若 →

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 →

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