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戒严 (jiè yán) — to impose martial law (often including a curfew)

Definition

A formal/political term meaning the government imposes martial law (often with a curfew). Refers to the official act of suspending normal civil rights in a crisis — distinct from everyday enforcement vocabulary.

verb
to impose martial law (often including a curfew)

Examples

  • ，。
    Zhèng fǔ yǐ jīng jiè le yán, dà jiā bú yào chū mén.
    The government has imposed martial law; everyone should not go out.
  • 戒严，。
    jiè yán Qī jiān, suǒ yǒu shāng diàn dōu guān mén le.
    During martial law, all shops closed.
  • 戒严。
    Zhèng fǔ xuān bù cóng jīn wǎn kāi shǐ jiè yán.
    The government announced that martial law will start from tonight.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

戒jièguard
严yánstrict

戒 (guard) is made 严 (strict), giving the sense of imposing strict military control.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 戈戈gēhalberd
  • 廾廾gǒnghands

戒 shows 廾 (hands) and 戈 (a halberd) together: hands holding up a weapon as a warning.

Open 戒 →

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 →
Appears in
Government & PoliticsMilitary & Defense

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