沉重
chén zhòng · HSK 4
heavy
🪨 沉 = sink + 重 = heavy: a sinking heaviness, literal or emotional
沉 means to sink or submerge; 重 means heavy or weighty. Together they describe something whose weight drags it (or you) down — a heavy load, a heavy heart, a serious illness, grave news.
沉 — water 氵 + 冘 (phonetic, sinking figure)
Originally written 沈, this character combines the water radical 氵 with 冘, depicting a person sinking. It pictured an object or person submerged in water, giving the core meaning 'to sink.' From there it extended metaphorically to 'deep,' 'heavy,' and 'submerged in thought,' as in 沉默 (silent) or 沉重 (heavy).
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'.