重い

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. このかばんは重いです。▶ —
   This bag is heavy.
2. 気持ちが重いです。▶ —
   My heart feels heavy.

Collocations

Mnemonic

おもい — 重い, Yamato. An i-adjective. The opposite of 軽い karui. It begins in the physical and moves into the mind ── かばんが重い (the bag is heavy), 気持ちが重い (the heart feels heavy). Korean 'maeumi mugeopda' carries the exact same metaphor ── that weight should measure emotion is a cross-linguistic intuition. In the onyomi じゅう juu ── 体重 taijuu (body weight), 重要 juuyou (important — 'heavy and central'), 重視 juushi (to emphasize). That the kanji for 'important' is 'heavy' ── East Asia sees importance as weight. The Korean reading jung is sister to the onyomi じゅう.

Quick check

1. "Important" — kanji compound?

   • 重要 juuyou (most general "important")
   • 重い omoi (= "heavy" literal)
   • 重大 juudai (= "grave/serious")
   • 大切 taisetsu (= "precious", na-adj, also important)