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严 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
严yánsurname YanHSK 6, a, 7 strokes, radical 一, rank #7533, Medium
严yántight (closely sealed)HSK 6, a, 7 strokes, radical 一, rank #7533, Medium
严yánsternHSK 6, a, 7 strokes, radical 一, rank #7533, Medium
严yánstrictHSK 6, a, 7 strokes, radical 一, rank #7533, Medium
严yánrigorousHSK 6, a, 7 strokes, radical 一, rank #7533, Medium
严yánsevereHSK 6, a, 7 strokes, radical 一, rank #7533, Medium
严yánfatherHSK 6, a, 7 strokes, radical 一, rank #7533, Medium
严yánstrict, rigorous, rigid; sternHSK 6, a, 7 strokes, radical 一, rank #7533, Medium
yán(Yan2) T2
  1. 1tight (closely sealed)
  2. 2stern
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
严(嚴)yán(Yan2)

The character 严 (yán) primarily means 'strict' or 'stern', often used to describe a person's demeanor or a set of rules. It can also refer to something being tight or closely sealed, indicating rigor or severity in execution. In contexts such as education or management, it conveys a sense of discipline and seriousness.

Strokes7Radical一Frequency#7533DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of strictness is often associated with education and parenting, where a rigorous approach is believed to cultivate discipline and respect. This is reflected in traditional views on teacher-student relationships, where a stern demeanor is respected.

Memory Tip

Imagine a stern father, with a serious face (严) and a tightly sealed mouth, indicating no nonsense. The character combines the radical for 'to speak' (言) on top, suggesting a strict discourse, with a form that suggests rigidity, linking the sound 'yán' to the image of a strict authority figure.

Meanings of 严

yán(Yan2)
1tight (closely sealed)
2stern
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 严

严Simplified
嚴Traditional
7Strokes
一Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#7533Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 严

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Podcast: 严

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 严

Quick Contrast

严格 (yángé) vs 严厉 (yánlì) — choose 严 when emphasizing strictness in demeanor or rules, while 严厉 focuses more on harshness or severity in actions.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a stern father, with a serious face (严) and a tightly sealed mouth, indicating no nonsense. The character combines the radical for 'to speak' (言) on top, suggesting a strict discourse, with a form that suggests rigidity, linking the sound 'yán' to the image of a strict authority figure.

Usage Notes

Be mindful of the context in which you use 严; it is often employed in formal settings, such as in educational or professional discussions. Common collocations include 严格 (strict) and 严肃 (serious). Learners should also note that the third tone (严) can sometimes be mispronounced with the second tone.

HSK Study Tips

Although 严 is not explicitly listed in the HSK levels, students should recognize its relevance in HSK 4-5 vocabulary related to discipline and rules. Connecting it to words like 严格 (strict) will help reinforce its meaning and usage.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of strictness is often associated with education and parenting, where a rigorous approach is believed to cultivate discipline and respect. This is reflected in traditional views on teacher-student relationships, where a stern demeanor is respected.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 严 with similar-sounding words like 颜 (yán), which means 'color' or 'face'. A common mistake is to use 严 in informal contexts where a softer word might be more appropriate, such as using 严 instead of 温和 (gentle) in describing a person's demeanor.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 严

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Etymology of 严

Explanation

Simplified form of 嚴. Phonosemantic compound. 喦 represents the meaning and 敢 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "boast". The meaning later shifted to "extremely" and "severe". The traditional component 敢 was removed for simplific

Learn more about character formation (六书)
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 严?

Decomposition of 严

IDS Structure⿻亚厂
严Full Character
=
亚ya4
outer
厂chang3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 严?

Write 严

严

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 严

严 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. It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 3

Complete the Sentence

她病得很____重，甚至要做手术。

She is seriously ill — to the point that she needs surgery.

Common Confusions with 严

严vs言
yán

Both share the same pinyin but have different meanings and radicals.

严 and 厉 both convey strictness, but 厉 has a stronger connotation of severity and harshness.

1

他的态度很厉害。

严 and 厉 both convey strictness, but 厉 has a stronger connotation of severity and harshness.

💡Remember that 厉 is associated with extreme severity.
Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "tight (closely sealed)"?

or

Example Sentences for 严 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
宽阔的马路被缓慢前行的车辆堵得严严实实。

kuān kuò de mǎ lù bèi huǎn màn qián háng de chē liàng dǔ dé yán yán shí shí。

The wide road was blocked solid with traffic that moved along sluggishly.
2
你认为当前对罪犯的判决足够严厉吗？

nǐ rèn wéi dāng qián duì zuì fàn de pàn jué zú gòu yán lì ma？

Do you believe that sentences for criminals are tough enough at present?
3
全国的核武器工厂均受到了有毒废弃物的严重污染。

quán guó de hé wǔ qì gōng chǎng jūn shòu dào le yǒu dú fèi qì wù de yán zhòng wū rǎn。

Nuclear weapons plants across the country are heavily contaminated with toxic wastes.
4
由于约翰逊东窗事发，他们的体育声誉受到了严重损害。

yóu yú yuē hàn xùn dōng chuāng shì fā， ， tā mén de tǐ yù shēng yù shòu dào le yán zhòng sǔn。

Their sporting reputation has suffered enormously from Johnson's exposure.
5
他因摔倒而严重扭伤了脚踝。

tā yīn shuāi dǎo ér yán zhòng niǔ shāng le jiǎo huái。

He had wrenched his ankle badly from the force of the fall.
6
我有限的外交手腕儿受到了极其严峻的考验。

wǒ yǒu xiàn de wài jiāo shǒu wàn ér shòu dào le jí qí yán jùn de kǎo yàn。

My limited diplomatic skills were tested to the utmost.
7
该国领导人低估了这场危机的严重性。

gāi guó lǐng dǎo rén dī gū le zhè cháng wēi jī de yán zhòng xìng。

The country'sleadership had underestimated the depth of the crisis.
8
这给我的个人生活和我的工作都造成了严重的不良影响。

zhè gěi wǒ de gè rén shēng huó hé wǒ de gōng zuò dū zào chéng le yán zhòng de bù liáng yǐng xiǎng。

This has taken a great toll on me personally and professionally.
9
这位精神病学家将她的一些问题成功地追溯到她童年时代遭受的严重创伤。

zhè wèi jīng shén bìng xué jiā jiāng tā de yī xiē wèn tí chéng gōng dì zhuī sù dào tā tóng nián shí dài zāo shòu de yán zhòng chuàng shāng。

The psychiatrist successfully traced some of her problems to severe childhood traumas.
10
最近一期的《柳叶刀》杂志中强调了这一日益严重的问题。

zuì jìn yī qī de《 《 liǔ yè》 dāo 》 zá zhì zhōng qiáng tiáo le zhè yī rì yì yán zhòng de。

The growing problem is underlined in the latest issue of the Lancet.

Cultural Notes for 严

💡Did you know?

In Chinese culture, being '严' (stern) is often associated with being a good teacher or parent. A strict demeanor is sometimes seen as a sign of care, as it encourages discipline and respect, especially in educational contexts.

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of strictness is often associated with education and parenting, where a rigorous approach is believed to cultivate discipline and respect. This is reflected in traditional views on teacher-student relationships, where a stern demeanor is respected.

📜Proverb

There's a Chinese proverb: '严师出高徒' (A strict teacher produces excellent students), emphasizing the belief that strictness in education leads to better learning outcomes.

Word Family of 严

Compounds2
俨yan3grave, respectful; majestic
酽yan4thick, strong (as a beverage)
Words Containing This Character20
严重yánzhònggrave嚴重
严格yángéstrict嚴格
严肃yánsùsolemn嚴肅
尊严zūnyándignity尊嚴
严yánstern嚴
严厉yánlìsevere嚴厲
严密yánmìstrict嚴密
严峻yánjùngrim嚴峻
严禁yánjìnto strictly prohibit嚴禁
严谨yánjǐnrigorous嚴謹
庄严zhuāngyánsolemn莊嚴
严重性seriousness嚴重性
严酷bitter嚴酷
森严strict森嚴
从严strict從嚴
严惩to punish severely嚴懲
威严dignified威嚴
严寒yánhánbitter cold嚴寒
严刑strict law嚴刑
戒严to impose martial law戒嚴
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 俨 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 严

严 (yán) means 'stern' or 'strict', while 严格 (yángé) translates to 'strict' or 'rigorous' in a more formal sense. 严 can describe a person's temperament, while 严格 often refers to rules or standards that must be adhered to.