重
zhòng
Heavy box, serious illness, what matters most
The picture Put it on one pan of a balance and that pan sinks. 重 pulls its side of the scale down; 轻 lets its side float up.
Where the picture shows up in 重
-
heavy to lift
这个箱子太重了，帮我一下。
zhège xiāngzi tài zhòng le, bāng wǒ yíxià
This box is too heavy — give me a hand.
The handle cutting into the fingers while the body tilts to one side
-
body weight
孩子现在有多重？
háizi xiànzài yǒu duō zhòng
How much does the child weigh now?
The needle on the scale swinging far round and settling
多重 asks 'how heavy'
-
serious illness
他的病很重，住院了。
tā de bìng hěn zhòng, zhùyuàn le
He's seriously ill — he's in hospital.
Trying to sit up in bed and the shoulders sinking back down
-
important
安全最重要。
ānquán zuì zhòngyào
Safety matters most.
Laid on one pan, it lifts everything else into the air
重要 is built straight out of this
-
strong flavour
这个菜味道很重。
zhège cài wèidào hěn zhòng
This dish has a strong flavour.
A taste that settles on the tongue and will not rinse off with water
All of it in one picture
重 is the pull that drags its own side downward. On your hands, the box is heavy; on a scale, it is body weight; on a body, it is an illness that will not let you sit up; on the scale of judgement, it is what matters most; on the tongue, it is a flavour that settles and will not rinse away.