hing1 cung5輕重轻重
Jyutpinghing1 cung5
Yalehīng chúhng
Definition
Relative importance, seriousness, or priority of things.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Refers to the ability to discern the relative importance or urgency of a situation. It is frequently used in the context of interpersonal conduct, where someone is criticized for being tactless or failing to understand the gravity of a moment. Being able to distinguish 輕重 is considered a key sign of maturity and social awareness.
Examples
You need to know how to prioritize things in life.
He has no sense of propriety when he speaks.
Related words
Common phrases
to have no sense of priority or propriety
to distinguish between what is important and what is not
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal weight of an object. While it uses the characters for light and heavy, it is almost exclusively used in an abstract, metaphorical sense regarding social etiquette or decision-making priorities.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
