庄严 (zhuāng yán) — solemn, dignified, stately | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Use 庄严 for scenes, ceremonies, or pledges that feel majestic and dignified. More imposing and ceremonial than 严肃 (serious/grave) and more weighty than 隆重 (festive grandeur).

adjective

solemndignifiedstately

Examples

庄严，。
Zài zhuāng yán de yí shì shàng, dà jiā dōu hěn ān jìng.
At the solemn ceremony, everyone was very quiet.
庄严。
Zhè zuò jì niàn bēi xiǎn de shí fēn zhuāng yán.
This monument looks very stately.
庄严。
Tā zhuāng yán dì chéng nuò huì bǎo hù guó jiā.
He solemnly promised to protect the country.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

庄zhuāngdignified

庄 means dignified and 严 means strict; together they describe solemn dignity.

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 莊; 庄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艸艸cǎo

Sound part声符shēngfú

壯

壯zhuàng莊zhuāng

Same sound today

The traditional form 莊 pairs 艸 (grass) with 壯 as a sound part; the simplified 庄 is a later shorthand.

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6

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