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#7533DifficultyHard
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
By ear
Play it, then pick what 严 means.
About 严
严Simplified
嚴Traditional
7Strokes
一Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#7533Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 严
Podcast: 严
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
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.
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.
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
Premium — Locked
Tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 严, say it back, see your pitch against the model voice, and earn XP towards mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 严 through them.
Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.
How well do you know 严?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 严 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
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
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.
When to use 严
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.
严 or something close to it
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.
What learners get wrong
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.
Write 严
严
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
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.
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
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
Which one
Which one 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。
kuānkuò de mǎlù bèi huǎnmàn qián xíng de chēliàng dǔ de 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 rènwéi dāngqián duì zuìfàn de pànjué zúgòu yánlì 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。
quánguó de héwǔqì gōngchǎng jūn shòudào le yǒudú fèiqì wù de yánzhòng wūrǎn。
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。
yóuyú yāo hàn xùn dōng chuāng shì fā， tāmen de tǐyù shēngyù shòudào le yánzhòng sǔnhài。
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 shuāidǎo ér yánzhòng 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 yǒuxiàn de wàijiāo shǒuwàn ér shòudào le jíqí yánjùn de kǎoyàn。
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 lǐngdǎo rén dīgū le zhè chǎng wēijī de yánzhòng 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 gèrén shēnghuó hé wǒ de gōngzuò dōu zàochéng le yánzhòng de bùliáng yǐngxiǎng。
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 jīngshénbìng xué jiā jiāng tā de yìxiē wèntí chénggōng dì zhuīsù dào tā tóngnián shídài zāoshòu de yánzhòng chuāngshāng。
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。
zuìjìn yī qī de《 liǔ xié dāo》 zázhì zhōng qiángdiào le zhè yī rìyì yánzhòng de wèntí。
The growing problem is underlined in the latest issue of the Lancet.
Ask Jason
Have a question about 严?
Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.
Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.
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.
📜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yǎngrave, respectful; majestic
酽yànthick, 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yánzhòngxìngseriousness嚴重性
严酷yánkùbitter嚴酷
森严sēnyánstrict森嚴
从严cóngyánstrict從嚴
严惩yánchéngto punish severely嚴懲
威严wēiyándignified威嚴
严寒yánhánbitter cold嚴寒
严刑yánxíngstrict law嚴刑
戒严jièyánto impose martial law戒嚴
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 严
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.
Yes, 严 (Yán) is a relatively common surname in China. It is one of the names that can be found among various Chinese family names and has historical significance within Chinese culture.
严 (yán) means 'stern' or 'strict' in Chinese. It can describe a person who is serious and not easily amused. Additionally, it can refer to something that is rigorous or severe in nature. The character is often used in contexts involving rules, discipline, or authority.
You can use 严 (yán) in sentences to describe someone's demeanor or a situation. For example, '他对学生很严' (Tā duì xuéshēng hěn yán) means 'He is very strict with his students.' This showcases its use in describing a strict attitude.
Common phrases include 严格要求 (strict requirements) and 严肃对待 (take seriously).
You can say 她的父亲对她的学习很严 (Her father is very strict about her studies).
Not necessarily; it can imply a positive aspect of discipline and high standards in certain contexts.
Jason Recommends
Not sure what to learn after 严?
Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.
A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.
