繁重
fán zhòng · HSK 7
burdensome
🏋️⛰️ 繁 (complex/numerous) + 重 (heavy) = piled-up heaviness
Think of endless paperwork stacked on a scale — 繁 means numerous or complicated, 重 means heavy. Together they describe a burden that is both massive in quantity and crushing in weight. Arduous, heavy-duty work.
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'.