重任
zhòng rèn · HSK 7
heavy responsibility
🏋️ 重 heavy + 任 duty = a heavy duty laid on your shoulders
重 means heavy and 任 means duty or post; together they name a weighty responsibility. The zhòng in 重任 is the same heavy zhòng as in 重要 (important).
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'.
任 — person radical 亻 + 壬 (phonetic)
任 combines the person radical 亻 with 壬, which supplies the sound. The original sense centered on a person bearing a load or burden, which extended naturally to 'carrying responsibility,' 'duty,' and 'to appoint someone to a post.' Modern uses like 任务 (task) and 责任 (responsibility) preserve this core idea.