Hanzi
Traditional
嚴
Simplified
严

tight (closely sealed)/stern/strict/rigorous/severe/father

Hanzi

Grade

Grade 4

Pinyin

yán

Bopomofo

ㄧㄢˊ

Jyutping

jim4

Example sentences

嚴寒 / 严寒 yánhán
嚴寒讓山路結冰，車隊只能停下。
严寒让山路结冰，车队只能停下。

The severe cold made the mountain road ice over, so the convoy could only stop.

嚴肅 / 严肃 yánsù
會議的氣氛非常嚴肅。
会议的气氛非常严肃。

The atmosphere of the meeting was very serious.

其實 / 其实 qíshí
他看起來很嚴肅，其實人很好。
他看起来很严肃，其实人很好。

He looks very serious, but actually he is very nice.

嚴重 / 严重 yánzhòng
這個錯誤造成了嚴重的後果。
这个错误造成了严重的后果。

This mistake caused serious consequences.

影響 / 影响 yǐngxiǎng
環境污染對人類健康有嚴重的影響。
环境污染对人类健康有严重的影响。

Environmental pollution has a serious impact on human health.

尊嚴 / 尊严 zūnyán
維護人格尊嚴是每個人的權利。
维护人格尊严是每个人的权利。

Maintaining personal dignity is everyone's right.

妓女 jìnǚ
這部電影把妓女描寫成有尊嚴的人。
这部电影把妓女描写成有尊严的人。

This film portrays prostitutes as people with dignity.

嚴 / 严 yán
這裡的紀律很嚴。
这里的纪律很严。

The discipline here is very strict.

寒 hán
天氣嚴寒。
天气严寒。

The weather is bitterly cold.

嚴厲 / 严厉 yánlì
老師對學生的要求非常嚴厲。
老师对学生的要求非常严厉。

The teacher is very strict with the students.

Example Vocabulary

嚴寒

yan2'han2

severe cold; bitterly cold

嚴肅

yan2'su4

serious; solemn

嚴重

yan2'zhong4

serious; grave; critical

尊嚴

zun1'yan2

dignity; honor; self-respect

嚴

yan2

strict; tight; rigorous

嚴冬

yan2'dong1

嚴厲

yan2'li4

strict; severe; stern

嚴嚴實實

嚴實

yan2'shi

嚴刑

yan2'xing2

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Sign Up

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.