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苛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
苛kēsevere, harsh; rigorous, exactinga, 8 strokes, radical 艹, rank #17213, Very Hard
kē(ke1)ke T1
  1. 1severe, harsh; rigorous, exacting
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March 24, 2026

苛kē(ke1)

The character 苛 (kē) describes a state of being severe or harsh, often in terms of criticism or demands. It is commonly used to convey the idea of rigorous standards or exacting expectations, particularly in contexts that involve discipline or judgment.

Strokes8Radical艹Frequency#17213DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture,苛 (kē) reflects societal values around discipline and rigor, especially in education and traditional practices, where high expectations are often placed on individuals.

Memory tip

Imagine a strict teacher with a cane (苛) demanding perfection from students. The radical '艹' (cǎo) suggests plants, which the teacher might inspect for every tiny imperfection, symbolizing their harshness.

Meanings of 苛

kē(ke1)
1severe, harsh; rigorous, exacting
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 苛

苛Simplified
8Strokes
艹Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 苛

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Podcast: 苛

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AI Study Notes for 苛

Quick Contrast

苛 (kē) vs 严 (yán) — use 苛 for severity in criticism or demands, while 严 emphasizes strictness or seriousness in a broader sense.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 苛 with other characters that have similar meanings, such as 严 (yán), which means strict but can have a more supportive connotation. It is more commonly used in formal contexts, especially in written language.

HSK Study Tips

While 苛 is not included in HSK levels, understanding its meaning can enhance vocabulary related to criticism and discipline. Focus on similar characters like 严 (strict) and 刻 (to carve) to build connections.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use 苛 (kē) in casual contexts where a milder term like 严 (yán) would be more appropriate. For example, saying '苛的老师' (kē de lǎoshī) instead of '严厉的老师' (yánlì de lǎoshī) for 'strict teacher' can sound overly harsh.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 苛

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Etymology of 苛

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 可 represents the sound.

Memory hint

grass

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)可
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

苛 = 艹 + 可. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 苛

IDS Structure⿱艹可
苛Full character
=
艹cao3
top
可ke3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 苛?

How to say severe, harsh; rigorous, exacting in Chinese

“severe, harsh; rigorous, exacting” in Chinese is苛kē

The character 苛 (kē) describes a state of being severe or harsh, often in terms of criticism or demands. It is commonly used to convey the idea of rigorous standards or exacting expectations, particularly in contexts that involve discipline or judgment.

When to use 苛

Learners often confuse 苛 with other characters that have similar meanings, such as 严 (yán), which means strict but can have a more supportive connotation. It is more commonly used in formal contexts, especially in written language.

苛 or something close to it

苛 (kē) vs 严 (yán) — use 苛 for severity in criticism or demands, while 严 emphasizes strictness or seriousness in a broader sense.

What learners get wrong

Learners may mistakenly use 苛 (kē) in casual contexts where a milder term like 严 (yán) would be more appropriate. For example, saying '苛的老师' (kē de lǎoshī) instead of '严厉的老师' (yánlì de lǎoshī) for 'strict teacher' can sound overly harsh.

Write 苛

苛

Practice writing 苛 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 苛

苛 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

他是个____刻的批评家，但却是个非常善良的人。

He was a stern critic but an extremely kindly man.

Example Sentences for 苛 (7)

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1
他是个苛刻的批评家，但却是个非常善良的人。

tā shì gè kē kè de pī píng jiā， ， dàn què shì gè fēi cháng shàn liáng de。

He was a stern critic but an extremely kindly man.
2
新法律只会与原来的法律一样苛严。

xīn fǎ lǜ zhī huì yǔ yuán lái de fǎ lǜ yī yàng kē yán。

The new laws will be just as oppressive as those they replace.
3
给我规定的条件还不算太苛刻。

gěi wǒ guī dìng de tiáo jiàn huán bù suàn tài kē kè。

The conditions laid down to me were not too limiting.
4
对自己别太苛刻，让自己更快乐些。

duì zì jǐ bié tài kē kè， ， ràng zì jǐ gēng kuài lè。

Be a little easier on yourself and enjoy yourself more.
5
苛刻的房东向我们榨取重租.

kē kè de fáng dōng xiàng wǒ mén zhà qǔ zhòng zū.

Hard landlords racked us with high rents.
6
别太苛刻。

bié tài kē kè。

Don't be uncharitable.
7
那户人家的家长贾瓦德先生治家严苛，名闻乡里。

nà hù rén jiā de jiā cháng jiǎ wǎ dé xiān shēng zhì jiā yán kē， ， míng wén xiāng。

The patriarch of the house, Mr Jawad, rules it with a ferocity renowned throughout the neighbourhood.

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Word Family of 苛

Words containing this character8
苛刻kēkèharsh
苛kēsevere
苛求demanding
苛责to excoriate苛責
严苛severe嚴苛
苛捐杂税exorbitant taxation (idiom)苛捐雜稅
苛性钠caustic soda苛性鈉
苛性钾caustic potash苛性鉀
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 苛

What does 苛刻 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 苛

You might say 苛刻的要求 (kēkè de yāoqiú) which means 'exacting demands'.

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