慎重
shènzhòng · HSK 7
careful
🐢 慎重 = 慎 cautious + 重 heavy/weighty: weighing a choice with care
慎 carries the sense of being careful or wary, and 重 means heavy or serious. Together they describe treating something with weight, acting in a careful, discreet, deliberate way.
重 — person 人 + east 東 (phonetic)
Originally depicted a person carrying a heavy bundle on their back, suggesting weight and burden. The 東-like element served as a phonetic component. Over time the character split into two readings: zhòng meaning 'heavy' and chóng meaning 'repeat/again'.