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严厉 (yán lì) — severe, strict

Definition

严厉 describes a strict, harsh person or treatment, often with a stern emotional tone. Unlike 严格 (focused on enforcing rules/standards), 严 is more about tight closures, and 严峻/严寒 are reserved for grim situations or bitter cold.

adjective
severestrict

Examples

  • 严厉，。
    Tā de fù qīn hěn yán lì, duì tā yāo qiú hěn gāo.
    His father is very strict and has high expectations of him.
  • 严厉，。
    Gōng sī zhì dìng le yán lì de guī dìng, wéi fǎn zhě huì bèi kāi chú.
    The company has set strict rules; violators will be fired.
  • 严厉。
    Lǎo shī yán lì dì pī píng le chí dào de xué shēng.
    The teacher severely criticized the student who was late.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

严yánstrict
厉lìstern

“严” and “厉” both convey sternness or severity, so together they mean severe or strict.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 嚴; 严 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
喦喦yántalkative
Sound part声符shēngfú
敢
敢gǎn嚴yán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 嚴 combines 喦 (talkative) and 敢 (daring); the simplified 严 is a later shorthand.

Open 严 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 厲; 厉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
厂厂chǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
蠆
蠆chài厲lì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 厲 uses 厂 for meaning and 蠆 for sound; 厉 is not the form whose parts are being described.

Open 厉 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Personality & Traits

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