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负重 (fù zhòng) — to bear a heavy load (literal and figurative)

Definition

Literally 'to bear weight' — used for both physical loads and figurative burdens like pressure or responsibility. More literal/physical than 背负 or 肩负, which lean toward shouldering responsibilities.

verb
to bear a heavy load (literal and figurative)

Examples

  • 负重。
    Tā měi tiān jiān chí fù zhòng xùn liàn.
    He persists in weight-bearing training every day.
  • 负重。
    Tā zài gōng zuò zhōng fù zhòng zhe jù dà de yā lì.
    She bears great pressure at work.
  • 负重。
    Tā mò mò fù zhòng zhe jiā tíng de zé rèn.
    He silently bears the responsibility of the family.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

负fùcarry
重zhòngheavy load

负 means to carry, and 重 refers to a heavy load, so the word means to bear a burden.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 負; 负 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 負 combines 人 (person) and 貝 (cowry), with 人 written as ⺈; the simplified 负 is a later abbreviation.

Open 负 →

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 7-9Fitness & Exercise

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