重要

Chinese

		heavy; serious; to double heavy; serious; to double; to repeat; repetition; iteration; again; a layer	important; vital; to want important; vital; to want; to be going to; must; demand; ask; request; coerce
trad. (重要)		重	要
simp. ^#(重要)		重	要

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): zhòngyào

(Zhuyin): ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄧㄠˋ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): zong⁴ yao⁴
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): zung⁶ jiu³

(Taishan, Wiktionary): zuung⁵ yau¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): chhung-yeu

(Hailu, HRS): chung^˖ rhau^ˇ

(Meixian, Guangdong): cung⁴ yau⁴
Eastern Min (BUC): dê̤ṳng-iéu
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): doeng⁵ ieo⁴ / dyoeng⁵ ieo⁴
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): tiōng-iàu / tiǒng-iàu

(Teochew, Peng'im): dong⁶ iou³ / dong⁶ iao³
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶zon-iau

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zhòngyào
  - Zhuyin: ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄧㄠˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jhòngyào
  - Wade–Giles: chung⁴-yao⁴
  - Yale: jùng-yàu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jonqyaw
  - Palladius: чжунъяо (čžunʺjao)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ jɑʊ̯⁵¹/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: zong⁴ yao⁴
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: zungjao
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡soŋ²¹³ iau²¹³/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: zung⁶ jiu³
  - Yale: juhng yiu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzung⁶ jiu³
  - Guangdong Romanization: zung⁶ yiu³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʊŋ²² jiːu̯³³/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: zuung⁵ yau¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɵŋ³² jau³³/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhung-yeu
  - Hakka Romanization System: cung ieu
  - Hagfa Pinyim: cung⁴ yeu⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰuŋ⁵⁵ i̯eu̯⁵⁵/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhung-yeu
  - Hakka Romanization System: cung (r)ieu
  - Hagfa Pinyim: cung⁴ yeu⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰuŋ⁵⁵ (j)i̯eu̯⁵⁵/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: chung^˖ rhau^ˇ
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡ʃʰuŋ³³ ʒau¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: cung⁴ yau⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰʊŋ⁵³⁻⁵⁵ iau⁵³/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: dê̤ṳng-iéu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tyŋ²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^(Ø-)ŋiɛu²¹³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: doeng⁵ ieo⁴ [Phonetic: doeng¹ ieo⁴]
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: dē̤ng-a̤̍u
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tœŋ¹¹⁻⁵⁵ ieu⁴²/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: dyoeng⁵ ieo⁴ [Phonetic: dyoeng¹ ieo⁴]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tyøŋ²¹⁻⁵⁵ ieu⁴²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiōng-iàu
  - Tâi-lô: tiōng-iàu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: dioxng'iaux
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Singapore): /tiɔŋ²²⁻²¹ iau²¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /tiɔŋ³³⁻²¹ iau²¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /tiɔŋ³³⁻¹¹ iau¹¹/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiǒng-iàu
  - Tâi-lô: tiǒng-iàu
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /tiɔŋ²² iau⁴¹/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: dong⁶ iou³ / dong⁶ iao³
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tŏng iòu / tŏng iàu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /toŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ iou²¹³/, /toŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ iau²¹³/

Note:

dong6 iou3 - Chaozhou;
dong6 iau3 - Shantou, Jieyang, Chaoyang.

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶zon-iau
  - MiniDict: zon^去 iau
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³zon-iau
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zoŋ²² iɔ⁴⁴/

Adjective

重要

important; significant; major
重要發現／重要发现 ― zhòngyào fāxiàn ― important discovery

重要意義／重要意义 ― zhòngyào yìyì ― significance

作重要講話／作重要讲话 ― zuò zhòngyào jiǎnghuà ― to make an important speech

保命更重要。 ― Bǎomìng gèng zhòngyào. ― Saving (your) life is more important.

我還有一件很重要的事情要告訴你。 [MSC, trad.]
我还有一件很重要的事情要告诉你。 [MSC, simp.]
Wǒ háiyǒu yī jiàn hěn zhòngyào de shìqíng yào gàosu nǐ. [Pinyin]
I still have one very important thing to tell you.

重要的話要說三遍。 [MSC, trad.]
重要的话要说三遍。 [MSC, simp.]
Zhòngyào de huà yào shuō sān biàn. [Pinyin]
Important things should be said three times.

Synonyms

edit

主要 (zhǔyào) (most important)
吃勁 / 吃劲 (chījìn) (colloquial)
吃緊 / 吃紧 (chījǐn)
基本 (jīběn)
根本 (gēnběn)
當家 / 当家 (dāngjiā) (attributive, most important)
要緊 / 要紧 (yàojǐn)
重大
關鍵 / 关键 (guānjiàn)

Derived terms

至關重要 / 至关重要 (zhìguānzhòngyào)
重要分子
重要性 (zhòngyàoxìng)

Descendants

Korean: 중요 (jung'yo)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): zung⁶ jiu³

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: zung⁶ jiu³
  - Yale: juhng yiu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzung⁶ jiu³
  - Guangdong Romanization: zung⁶ yiu³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʊŋ²² jiːu̯³³/

Conjunction

重要

(Cantonese) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 重,‎ 要; and also
佢成日遲返都不特只，重要做咩都做錯嗮 [Cantonese, trad.]
佢成日迟返都不特只，重要做咩都做错嗮 [Cantonese, simp.]
keoi⁵ seng⁴ jat⁶ ci⁴ faan¹ dou¹ bat¹ dak⁶ zi², cung⁴ jiu³ zou⁶ me¹ dou¹ zou⁶ co³ saai³ [Jyutping]
Not only he is always late, he also does everything incorrectly.

Usage notes

Usually written as 仲要.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
重	要
じゅう Grade: 3	よう Grade: 4
on'yomi

Etymology

/djuːeu/ → /d͡ʑuːeu/ → /d͡ʑuːjoː/

From Middle Chinese compound 重要 (drjowng^X ʔjiew^H, literally “heavy + important”).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) じゅうよー [jùúyóó] (Heiban – [0])^[1]
IPA^(key): [d͡ʑɨːjo̞ː]

Adjective

重(じゅう)要(よう) • (jūyō) ^{←ぢゆうえう (dyuueu)^?}-na (adnominal 重(じゅう)要(よう)な (jūyō na), adverbial 重(じゅう)要(よう)に (jūyō ni))

important, significant
あのテストは重(じゅう)要(よう)だ。
Ano tesuto wa jūyō da.
That test is important.

Inflection

Inflection of 重要
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	重要だろ	じゅうようだろ	jūyō daro
Continuative (連用形)	重要で	じゅうようで	jūyō de
Terminal (終止形)	重要だ	じゅうようだ	jūyō da
Attributive (連体形)	重要な	じゅうような	jūyō na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	重要なら	じゅうようなら	jūyō nara
Imperative (命令形)	重要であれ	じゅうようであれ	jūyō de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	重要ではない重要じゃない	じゅうようではないじゅうようじゃない	jūyō de wa nai jūyō ja nai
Informal past	重要だった	じゅうようだった	jūyō datta
Informal negative past	重要ではなかった重要じゃなかった	じゅうようではなかったじゅうようじゃなかった	jūyō de wa nakatta jūyō ja nakatta
Formal	重要です	じゅうようです	jūyō desu
Formal negative	重要ではありません重要じゃありません	じゅうようではありませんじゅうようじゃありません	jūyō de wa arimasen jūyō ja arimasen
Formal past	重要でした	じゅうようでした	jūyō deshita
Formal negative past	重要ではありませんでした重要じゃありませんでした	じゅうようではありませんでしたじゅうようじゃありませんでした	jūyō de wa arimasen deshita jūyō ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	重要で	じゅうようで	jūyō de
Conditional	重要なら（ば）	じゅうようなら（ば）	jūyō nara (ba)
Provisional	重要だったら	じゅうようだったら	jūyō dattara
Volitional	重要だろう	じゅうようだろう	jūyō darō
Adverbial	重要に	じゅうように	jūyō ni
Degree	重要さ	じゅうようさ	jūyōsa

Synonyms

大(たい)切(せつ) (taisetsu): important
肝(かん)腎(じん) (kanjin): “liver and kidneys” → essential, crucial
肝(かん)要(よう) (kan'yō): “liver important” → as important as one's liver → extremely important

Antonyms

些(さ)細(さい) (sasai): trifling, minor, trivial
軽(けい)微(び) (keibi): slight, minor, light

Noun

重(じゅう)要(よう) • (jūyō) ^{←ぢゆうえう (dyuueu)^?}

importance, consequence, significance

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

“重要”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026
Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
Ineko Kondō, Fumi Takano, Mary E. Althaus, et al. (2002), Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, third edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
重	要

Noun

重要 • (jung'yo) (hangeul 중요)

hanja form^? of 중요 (“importance”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
重	要

Adjective

重要

chữ Hán form of trọng yếu (“important”)

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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