Kilo Lingo

(zhòng yào) - important, significant in Mandarin

zhòngyào

Traditional: 重藥

Line drawing of 重要
Coloured illustration of 重要
HSK 3
#279 of 5,000 Core 1000

Translation

important, significant

Word origin

重要 (zhòngyào) 'important' joins 重 (zhòng, 'heavy') and 要 (yào, 'essential, to want'). 重 depicts a person carrying a heavy load, hence 'heavy, weighty'; 要 originally pictured a waist and means 'essential'.

Origin
compound
Root
重 (zhòng, 'heavy') + 要 (yào, 'essential')

Stroke order

Stroke order for 重

Stroke order for 要

Examples

This is very important.

The most important thing is health.

This matter is not important.

There is an important meeting today.

Health is more important than money.

重要 (zhòng yào) means important, significant. It is used as a adjective in everyday Mandarin speech.

Used in

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This word is part of lesson 6.