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严峻 (yán jùn) — severe, stern, grim

Definition

严峻 describes a situation or challenge that is grim and hard to deal with — 'severe' circumstances, not a strict person. For a stern person or manner, use 严厉 or 严格.

adjective
severesterngrim

Examples

  • 严峻。
    Zhè cì kǎo shì shì duì wǒ men de yí cì yán jùn kǎo yàn.
    This exam is a severe test for us.
  • 严峻，。
    Miàn duì yán jùn de tiǎo zhàn, tā méi yǒu tuì suō.
    Facing the grim challenge, he did not back down.
  • 严峻。
    Shàng si yòng yán jùn de mù guāng kàn le tā yì yǎn.
    The boss gave him a stern look.

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yánsevere
峻jùnsteep; harsh

严 means 'severe' and 峻 means 'steep, harsh'; together they describe a grim, severe situation.

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
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
夋
夋qūn峻jùn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

峻 pairs 山, showing a mountain, with 夋, which gives its sound.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Good & Bad

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