重たい
おもたい · omotai · JLPT N2 · i-adj
heavy
🪨 重 (heavy) + た (tail/tale) — 重たい: heavy, the stone you carry as a tale of effort
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'.