生硬 (shēng yìng) — stiff, unnatural (of writing, translation, style, gestures); harsh, blunt (of attitude, tone, manner)

Definition

生硬 means 'stiff, unnatural' for writing/translation/performance, and 'harsh, blunt' for manner or tone — focuses on awkwardness rather than the physical hardness of 僵硬 or the demanding severity of 苛刻.

adjective
stiffunnatural (of writing, translation, style, gestures)harshblunt (of attitude, tone, manner)

Examples

  • 生硬
    Zhè piān fān yì dú qǐ lái hěn shēng yìng.
    This translation reads very stiff.
  • 生硬
    Tā shēng yìng de tài dù ràng tóng shì men gǎn dào bù shū fu.
    His harsh attitude made colleagues feel uncomfortable.
  • 生硬
    Tā de biǎo yǎn yǒu xiē shēng yìng, bú gòu zì rán.
    Her performance was somewhat stiff, not natural enough.

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