How to Write 重 (chóng/zhòng) — Meaning “Heavy”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember the character 重?

Imagine a thousand (千) villages (里) pressing down on you – that feels very heavy! This visual of a huge weight on a village helps you link the shape to the meaning 'heavy.'

Q: What are the key writing tips for 重?

Start with a left-falling stroke (丿), then a horizontal line, a vertical line, a horizontal bend (𠃍), and two more horizontal lines inside. Keep the vertical stroke straight and centered, and make the bottom part (里) slightly wider than the top.

Q: How can I tell 重 apart from similar characters like 里 and 野?

里 is a simpler character with only 7 strokes and means 'inside' or 'village.' 野 has 11 strokes and adds the component 予 (give) on the right. 重 has 9 strokes and a distinct top part (like 千) above 里, and it means 'heavy' or 'repeat.'

Q: When and how is 重 used in modern Chinese?

重 has two pronunciations: zhòng for 'heavy' and chóng for 'repeat.' It appears in common HSK 1 words like 重要 (zhòng yào, important) and 重量 (zhòng liàng, weight). Culturally, 'heavy' often implies importance, so 重要 is used to describe something significant.

Q: What common words use 重?

Common words containing 重 include: 重量 (zhòng liàng) — Weight; 重要 (zhòng yào) — Important; 重复 (chóng fù) — Repeat.

chóng/zhòng HSK Level 1 9 strokes Radical: 里

重 (chóng/zhòng) means "Heavy" in Chinese. It has 9 strokes with the radical 里, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 3.5/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 83% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 重量 (zhòng liàng), 重要 (zhòng yào), 重复 (chóng fù).

Due to its 9 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 重 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 重 - chóng/zhòng

Practice Writing 重 (chóng/zhòng)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 重 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 重

The character 重 (chóng/zhòng) is written with 9 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 里 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does chóng/zhòng (重) Mean in Chinese?

重 means Heavy.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: chóng, zhòng.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 重 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character	重
Pinyin	chóng / zhòng (chong/zhong)
Meaning	Heavy
Strokes	9
Radical	里
HSK Level	1
Difficulty	3.5/5

Origin of 重

Originally a pictograph of a person (人) carrying a heavy bundle (東) on their back, symbolizing weight. The modern form simplifies these elements, with the top part (千) representing the person and the bottom (里) the bundle.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a person (the left stroke) straining to lift a thousand (千) pounds inside a field (里) — it's incredibly heavy!

Common Words with 重

重量 zhòng liàng

Weight

重要 zhòng yào

Important

重复 chóng fù

Repeat

重新 chóng xīn

Again / Anew / Freshly

Example Sentences

测量一下这台机器的重量是多少。

cè liáng yī xià zhè tái jī qì de zhòng liàng shì duō shǎo

Measure the weight of this machine.

环境保护对人类来说非常重要。

huán jìng bǎo hù duì rén lèi lái shuō fēi cháng zhòng yào

Environmental protection is very important for humanity.

同样的话他已经重复了三遍。

tóng yàng de huà tā yǐ jīng chóng fù le sān biàn

He has already repeated the same words three times.

我们需要重新评估这个项目的可行性。

wǒ men xū yào chóng xīn píng gū zhè ge xiàng mù dì kě xíng xìng

We need to re-evaluate the feasibility of this project.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
重 (current)	chóng / zhòng	9	里
里	lǐ	7	里
野	yě	11	里

Practice Writing 重 (chóng/zhòng)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 重 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 重

What are the components of 重 and how do they relate to its meaning?

The character 重 is made up of the radical 里 (village) at the bottom and a top part that looks like 千 (thousand). Although these components don't directly mean 'heavy,' the character's meaning comes from its ancient form showing a person carrying a heavy load.

What is a good memory trick to remember the character 重?

What are the key writing tips for 重?

How can I tell 重 apart from similar characters like 里 and 野?

When and how is 重 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 重?

How to Write 重 (chóng/zhòng) — Meaning “Heavy”

Practice Writing 重 (chóng/zhòng)

How to Write 重

What Does chóng/zhòng (重) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 重

Common Words with 重

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 重 (chóng/zhòng)

Frequently Asked Questions about 重

More HSK Level 1 Characters

Characters with Radical 里

Other 9-Stroke Characters