How to say “strict” in Chinese
strict; tight (closed)
“Strict” in Chinese is 严, yán: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
严 is read yán. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “严”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 严. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 我父亲对我很严格wǒfùqīnduìwǒhěnyángéMy father is very strict with me.
- 大夫，我的病严重吗？dàifu,wǒdebìngyánzhòngmaDoctor, is it something serious?
- 医生，他的病情严重吗？yīshēng,tādebìngqíngyánzhòngmaDoctor, is his condition serious?
- 暴雨造成了严重的交通问题bàoyǔzàochéngleyánzhòngdejiāotōngwèntíThe downpour caused serious traffic problems.
- 这次地震严重吗？zhècìdìzhènyánzhòngmaWas the earthquake serious?
- 这片森林受到了严重的破坏。zhèpiànsēnlínshòudàoleyánzhòngdepòhuàiThis forest has been badly damaged.
More characters by topic — happiness, luck, strength, nature — on the page “Chinese characters with meanings”.
More words from the lesson “Strict and resolute”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “strict” in Chinese?
“Strict” in Chinese is 严, pinyin yán.
What does 严 mean?
严 (yán) means “strict; tight (closed)”.
How do you write 严?
严 is 1 character. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 严?
严 is read yán. Tones: yán — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“strict” in the lesson “Strict and resolute”
This word is from the topic “Character and behavior” of HSK 6. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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