How to read 重: 6 readings with examples

The Jōyō Kanji table lists 6 readings for 重. Which one you use depends on the word it sits in, so learn the words below and the reading comes with them.

On'yomi

ジュウjuuチョウchou

Kun'yomi

えeおも(い)omoiかさ(ねる)kasaneruかさ(なる)kasanaru

Word	Reading	Type	Meaning
体重	たいじゅうtaijuu	On	body weight
貴重	きちょうkichou	On	precious
慎重	しんちょうshinchou	On	careful
八重	やえyae	Kun	eightfold; double-flowered
重い	おもいomoi	Kun	heavy
重ねる	かさねるkasaneru	Kun	to stack
重なる	かさなるkasanaru	Kun	to overlap

How to tell which reading of 重 to use

ジュウ is the main on'yomi (体重, 重要). チョウ appears in words about value or care (貴重, 慎重, 尊重).
え means fold or layer after a number (八重, 一重). 二重 can be にじゅう (double) or ふたえ (two layers, double eyelid).
重い (heavy) uses おも; 重ねる / 重なる (stack / overlap) use かさ.

Seen in JapanTemples and shrines: 重要文化財 (juuyou bunkazai), Important Cultural Property.

Quiz

Can you read these sentences?

Why does one kanji have so many readings?

Kanji came to Japan from China over several centuries. Each wave brought the Chinese pronunciation of its time and place, and Japanese kept the older sounds alongside the newer ones. Those borrowed sounds are the on'yomi. For example, 生 is セイ in 先生 but ショウ in 一生. Japanese also attached its own native words to the characters, and those are the kun'yomi.

Sounds also shift when words join: ひ becomes び in 日曜日, ひと becomes びと in 人々, and ふん becomes ぷん in 三分. That is why the readings listed in a dictionary don't always match what you hear.