Meaning
重要 describes something that has great value, significance, or influence. It's one of the most common adjectives in Mandarin for expressing importance and is used in both formal and informal contexts. The word can modify nouns directly or serve as a predicate adjective.
Usage
Native speakers use 重要 frequently in daily conversation, academic writing, and professional settings. It commonly appears with degree adverbs like 很 (very), 非常 (extremely), or 最 (most). Can be used to describe people, events, decisions, information, or abstract concepts. Often appears in the pattern '对...很重要' (important to/for...).
Examples
- 01健康对每个人都很重要。.Health is very important to everyone.
- 02这是一个重要的决定，我们需要仔细考虑。, .This is an important decision, we need to consider it carefully.
Characters
Common collocations
- 很重要very important
- 重要性importance
- 对...很重要...very important to/for...
- 最重要的是most importantly
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 重 (heavy/weighty) with 要 (essential/important), literally suggesting something that carries weight or significance. This metaphorical use of 'heavy' to mean 'important' parallels similar concepts in many languages.