沉重

• Pinyin: chén zhòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 沉 = 氵(water) + 冘 (phonetic), meaning to sink; 重 = a pictograph of a heavy object, meaning heavy

Meaning

Heavy; weighty. Describes something physically heavy or emotionally burdensome.

Used both literally for physical weight and figuratively for emotional or psychological burden. In figurative use, it often describes mood, atmosphere, news, responsibilities, or pressure. The figurative usage is more common in everyday speech.

Examples

1. 他的心情非常沉重，因为考试没考好。 His mood is very heavy because he didn't do well on the exam.
2. 这个箱子太沉重了，我一个人搬不动。 This box is too heavy — I can't move it by myself.
3. 医生用沉重的语气告诉他检查结果。 The doctor told him the examination results in a heavy tone.

Usage Guide

Context: emotional, descriptive, everyday

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 失去朋友让他的心情十分沉重。(Losing his friend made him feel very heavy-hearted.)
• 这次任务给了我们沉重的压力。(This task put heavy pressure on us.)

Don't Say

• 这个苹果很沉重 (For small everyday objects, just use 重; 沉重 implies unusually or oppressively heavy weight)

Origin & History

沉 means to sink (implying heaviness); 重 means heavy or important. Together they emphasize great weight, literal or figurative.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal