重于泰山 (zhòng yú tài shān) — (idiom) weightier than Mount Tai; of the greatest significance

Definition

Chengyu from an ancient funeral lament: a person's death (or a cause) is so weighty it outweighs Mount Tai. Used to praise something as supremely important or noble — only for solemn, exalted contexts.

idiom
weightier than Mount Taiof the greatest significance

Examples

  • 重于泰山。
    Tā de xī shēng zhòng yú tài shān.
    His sacrifice was weightier than Mount Tai.
  • 重于泰山。
    Zhè jiàn shì de yì yì zhòng yú tài shān.
    The significance of this matter is of the greatest importance.
  • ，重于泰山。
    Duì gé mìng zhě lái shuō, zhèng yì de shì yè zhòng yú tài shān.
    For revolutionaries, the cause of justice is weightier than Mount Tai.

Origin

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 →

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

  • 一一yīflat stream of air
  • 丂丂kǎoto exhale

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Open 于 →

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
廾廾gǒngtwo hands
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
大
大dà泰tài
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

泰 combines 大 for sound with 廾 (two hands) and 水 (water), showing hands handling water or something slippery.

Open 泰 →

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

山 shows three mountain peaks side by side.

Open 山 →

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