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重量级 (zhòng liàng jí) — (in boxing) heavyweight; (figurative) heavyweight, influential, important

Definition

Originally a boxing term ('heavyweight'), now used figuratively for a 'big-name, influential' person or thing — a stronger, more vivid label than 重要. The literal sense of physical weight is 重型, not 重量级.

adjective
(in boxing) heavyweight(figurative) heavyweightinfluentialimportant

Examples

  • 重量级。
    Zhè shì yì chǎng zhòng liàng jí de quán jī bǐ sài.
    This is a heavyweight boxing match.
  • 重量级。
    Tā zài gōng sī lǐ shì yí wèi zhòng liàng jí rén wù.
    He is a heavyweight figure in the company.
  • 重量级，。
    Zhè ge wèn tí fēi cháng zhòng liàng jí, xū yào rèn zhēn duì dài.
    This issue is very heavyweight and needs to be taken seriously.

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.

重量weight
重zhòngheavy量liángmeasure
偏正Modifier + head
级jíclass

重量 (weight) and 级 (class) combine to mean a class based on weight.

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.

  • 日日rìsun
  • 東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Open 量 →

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 級; 级 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìthread
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí級jí
Same sound today

The traditional form 級 has 糹 (thread) and 及 as a sound part; its original sense was a sequence related to silk. The simplified 级 is a later shorthand.

Open 级 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract ConceptsSports & Athletics

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