重合
chóng hé · HSK 7
to coincide
🎯 重 (repeat/overlap) + 合 (join) = overlapping together, coinciding
When two things layer on top of each other and join perfectly, they coincide. 重 carries the sense of layering or repeating, while 合 means to close or fit together — stacked alignment.
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'.
合 — 乛 (lid/roof) + 口 (mouth)
Originally a pictograph of a lidded vessel — a cover (亼) closing over an opening (口) — giving the core sense of 'come together, join, fit.' From 'fit/match' it extended to 'combine, unite, agree' and to measure-word uses. The reading hé reflects this 'joining' meaning.