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严重性 (yán zhòng xìng) — gravity, seriousness

Definition

noun
gravityseriousness

Examples

  • 严重性。
    Wǒ men bì xū rèn shi dào zhè ge wèn tí de yán zhòng xìng.
    We must recognize the gravity of this problem.
  • 严重性。
    Yī shēng qiáng diào le bìng qíng de yán zhòng xìng.
    The doctor emphasized the seriousness of the illness.
  • 严重性。
    Tā dī gū le zhè cì shì gù de yán zhòng xìng.
    He underestimated the seriousness of this accident.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

严重serious
严yánstrict重zhòngheavy
联合Coordinate
性xìngsuffix

“严重” describes something as serious, and “性” names that quality.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →
Appears in
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