Dictionary › 严

严

yán

HSK 4 Character Traditional 嚴

What 严 means

1. tight (closely sealed)
2. stern
3. strict
4. rigorous
5. severe
6. father

Other readings

严 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• Yánsurname Yan

Example sentences

• 严重吗？
  Is it serious?
• 严禁吸烟。
  Smoking is strictly prohibited.
• 我很严格。
  I'm very strict.
• 汤姆很严格。
  Tom's strict.
• 我们要严厉。
  We have to be strict.
• 皇宫警衞森严。
  Huánggōng jǐng wèi sēnyán.
  The palace was heavily guarded.

Words starting with 严

• 严重yán zhònggrave; serious; severe; critical
• 严格yán géstrict; stringent; tight; rigorous
• 严肃yán sù(of an atmosphere etc) solemn; grave; serious; (of a manner etc) earnest; severe…
• 严厉yán lìsevere; strict
• 严禁yán jìnto strictly prohibit
• 严密yán mìtight; strict; closely controlled; rigorous and thorough
• 严峻yán jùngrim; severe; rigorous
• 严寒yán hánbitter cold; severe winter
• 严谨yán jǐnrigorous; strict; careful; (of writing) well organized; meticulous
• 严正yán zhèngsternly; solemn
• 严打yán dǎto crack down on; to take severe measures against
• 严惩yán chéngto punish severely
• 严酷yán kùbitter; harsh; grim
• 严严实实yán yán shí shí(sealed) tightly; (wrapped) closely; (covered) completely
• 严重性yán zhòng xìngseriousness
• 严冬yán dōngsevere winter
• 严守yán shǒuto strictly maintain
• 严防yán fángto take strict precautions; on your guard
• 严加yán jiāsternly; strictly; harshly
• 严复Yán FùYan Fu (1853-1921), influential Chinese writer and translator of Western books, esp. on…
• 严实yán shi(sealed) tight; close; (hidden) safely
• 严明yán míngstrict and impartial; firm
• 严查yán cháto investigate strictly
• 严控yán kòngto strictly control (abbr. for 严格控制

Words containing 严

• 尊严zūn yándignity; sanctity; honor
• 庄严zhuāng yánsolemn; dignified; stately
• 威严wēi yándignified; imposing; august
• 戒严jiè yánto impose martial law; to impose emergency measures
• 森严sēn yánstrict; rigid; tight (security)
• 从严cóng yánstrict; rigorous; severely
• 家严jiā yán(polite) my father
• 解严jiě yánto lift restrictions (such as curfew or martial law)
• 关严guān yánto close (a window) completely; to shut (a door) properly; to turn off (a faucet) tightly
• 华严经Huá yán jīngAvatamsaka sutra of the Huayan school; also called Buddhavatamsaka-mahavaipulya Sutra…
• 从难从严cóng nán cóng yánto impose demanding and strict conditions (esp. in training)…
• 华严宗Huá yán zōngChinese Buddhist school founded on the Buddhavatamsaka-mahavaipulya Sutra (Garland sutra)
• 谨严jǐn yánmeticulous; rigorous
• 嘴严zuǐ yánprudent in speech
• 嘴不严zuǐ bù yánto have a loose tongue
• 日趋严重rì qū yán zhòngmore critical with every passing day
• 妻管严qī guǎn yánhenpecked male
• 戒严令jiè yán lìngmartial law
• 戒严区jiè yán qūrestricted area; zone of application of the martial law
• 戒备森严jiè bèi sēn yánheavily-guarded
• 义正辞严yì zhèng cí yán(idiom) to speak forcibly out of a sense of righteousness
• 壁垒森严bì lěi sēn yánclosely guarded; strongly fortified; sharply divided
• 形势严峻xíng shì yán jùnin grave difficulties; the situation is grim
• 楞严lèng yánone who surmounts all obstacles (Buddhism)

Characters that look like 严

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 产chǎnto give birth; to reproduce; to produce

Sounds the same

Read yán, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 颜color; face; countenance
• 言words; speech; to say
• 研to grind; study; research
• 盐salt
• 延to prolong; to extend; to delay
• 沿along; to follow (a line, tradition etc); to carry on
• 炎flame; inflammation; -itis
• 岩cliff; rock
• 妍beautiful
• 檐eaves; ledge or brim
• 阎(literary) the gate of a lane
• 筵bamboo mat for sitting