重 meaning and stroke order
Heavy; serious; to attach importance to
How to write 重, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 重
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- heavy
- serious
- to attach importance to
- to repeat
- repetition
- again
- re-
- classifier: layer
How 重 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A burden carried for a thousand 千 miles 里.
Radical: 里 (unit of distance equal to 0.5km), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 重
重 looks like 千 (qiān, thousand) layered over 里 (lǐ, a unit of distance). Picture a burden carried for a thousand 里, and you will feel how heavy 重 (zhòng) is.
As zhòng it means heavy or serious, and it appears in very common words like 重要 (zhòngyào, important) and 严重 (yánzhòng, serious). As chóng it means again or re-, as in 重新 (chóngxīn) and 重复 (chóngfù). Example: 这个箱子很重。(Zhège xiāngzi hěn zhòng.) This box is very heavy.
Common mistake: Learners often read every 重 as zhòng, but in 重新 and 重复 it is chóng. Ask yourself whether the word means heavy or important (zhòng) or means again (chóng).
Common words with 重
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 重要 | zhòngyào | important; significant; major | HSK 1 |
| 重新 | chóngxīn | again; once more; re- | HSK 2 |
| 重复 | chóngfù | to repeat; to duplicate | HSK 2 |
| 重点 | zhòngdiǎn | to recount (e.g. results of election); to re-evaluate | HSK 2 |
| 重视 | zhòngshì | to attach importance to sth; to value | HSK 2 |
| 重大 | zhòngdà | great; important | HSK 3 |
| 严重 | yánzhòng | grave; serious; severe; critical | HSK 4 |
| 重量 | zhòngliàng | weight | HSK 4 |
| 体重 | tǐzhòng | body weight | HSK 4 |
| 沉重 | chénzhòng | heavy; hard | HSK 4 |
| 尊重 | zūnzhòng | to esteem; to respect | HSK 5 |
| 注重 | zhùzhòng | to pay attention to; to emphasize | HSK 5 |
| 比重 | bǐzhòng | proportion; (physics) specific gravity | HSK 5 |
| 重建 | chóngjiàn | to rebuild; to reconstruct; to reestablish | HSK 6 |
重 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 重
Learning 重 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 重
How many strokes are in 重?
重 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 重 mean?
重 (zhòng) means heavy; serious; to attach importance to. A common word with it is 重要 (zhòngyào), meaning "important; significant; major".
How do you pronounce 重?
重 is pronounced zhòng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 重?
The radical of 重 is 里, which carries the idea of "unit of distance equal to 0.5km". Dictionaries list 重 under this radical.
Is 重 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 重 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How do I know whether 重 is read zhòng or chóng?
Look at the meaning. If it is about weight, seriousness, or importance, read zhòng. If it is about doing something again or a layer, read chóng.
Can 重 be used as a measure word?
Yes. Read chóng, it counts layers, as in 两重门 (liǎng chóng mén, two layers of doors). This use is more literary and less common in daily speech.