贵重
guì zhòng · HSK 7
precious
💎 贵 expensive + 重 heavy = precious; valuable things that carry weight
贵 means expensive or costly and 重 means heavy or weighty. Together they label something precious: the kind of valuable item heavy enough to matter, like jewels or treasure.
贵 — shell 贝 (money) + 中 (middle/basket)
贵 originally depicted hands holding a basket of cowrie shells (贝), which served as ancient Chinese currency. The shell radical 贝 signals connection to wealth and value. Over time it came to mean 'expensive,' 'valuable,' and by extension 'noble' or 'honored.'
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'.