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沉甸甸 (chén diàn diàn) — heavy (with a sense of being laden or weighty; used for both physical and metaphorical weight)

Definition

A vivid reduplicated adjective for something heavy in the hand or on the shoulders, both literally (a laden bag) and figuratively (a weighty responsibility). Stronger and more pictorial than plain 重 or 沉重.

adjective
heavy (with a sense of being laden or weighty; used for both physical and metaphorical weight)

Examples

  • 沉甸甸，。
    Zhè ge xiāng zi chén diàn diàn de, lǐ miàn zhuāng mǎn le shū.
    This box is heavy; it's full of books.
  • 沉甸甸。
    Tā gǎn dào jiān shàng chén diàn diàn de zé rèn.
    He feels the heavy responsibility on his shoulders.
  • ，沉甸甸。
    Qiū tiān, shù shàng guà mǎn le chén diàn diàn de guǒ shí.
    In autumn, the trees are full of heavy fruit.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

沉chénheavy
甸甸heavy state
甸diàn甸diàn

沉 gives the sense of weight, while 甸甸 adds a vivid, laden heaviness.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 沉 →

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rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
田
田tián甸diàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

甸 is built from 人 (person) for the sense and 田 (field) for the sound.

Open 甸 →

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rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
田
田tián甸diàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

甸 is built from 人 (person) for the sense and 田 (field) for the sound.

Open 甸 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.