厳しい
kibishii[kʲibʲiɕii]
In Japanese, 'harsh' is translated as 厳しい (kibishii).
厳しい is used to describe things that are severe, strict or harsh. While it can translate to 'cruel' in some English contexts, in Japanese it is most commonly used when referring to strict rules, harsh weather or a severe environment.
Meaning: severe or cruel (adj)
Which one should you use?
If you want to emphasize a 'cruel' meaning that implies being heartless or bloodthirsty, use 残酷な (zankoku na) instead of 厳しい.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adverbial form of 厳しい is 厳しく (harshly), and you can create the noun form 厳しさ (harshness or severity) by changing the final -i to -sa.
How do you pronounce it?
kibishii
Did you know?
- In a professional setting, if a Japanese colleague describes a request or a deadline as 厳しい (kibishii), they are likely using it as a polite euphemism to say 'no' or 'it is impossible'.
- The word 厳しい was once a description of physical space. Long before it described harsh weather or strict people, it was used to describe things that were 'tight' or 'close' with no gaps between them.
Examples in context
- 厳しい冬だった。It was a harsh winter.This sentence is useful for describing a harsh winter using 厳しい.Tatoeba #11162317 by small_snow, translation #11179112 by CK
- 彼女はニューヨーク市の厳しい環境で育った。She grew up in the harsh environment of New York City.This sentence is useful for describing a harsh environment using 厳しい.Tatoeba #91808 by bunbuku, translation #311904 by CM
- この間のメールが厳しいものと取られなければいいのだが。I hope my last mail didn't sound too harsh.This sentence is useful for expressing the hope that a message did not sound too harsh using 厳しい.Tatoeba #1143857 by bunbuku, translation #273584 by CM
- 教師の評価は厳しいです。 (Kyoushi no hyouka wa kibishii desu.)Teachers' evaluations are harsh.
- 彼女は彼にとても残酷でした。 (Kanojo wa kare ni totemo zankoku deshita.)She was very harsh to him.
- 試験は本当に厳しかった。 (Shiken wa hontou ni kibishikatta.)The exam was really harsh.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are talking about a new manager in the office.
- 蓮 Ren新しいマネージャー、すごく厳しいね。Atarashii mane-ja-, sugoku kibishii ne.The new manager is really harsh.
- 結衣 Yuiうん、仕事の要求がすごく高いよ。Un, shigoto no youkyuu ga sugoku takai yo.Yeah, her demands for work are very high.
- 蓮 Ren結衣さんは大丈夫？Yui-san wa daijoubu?Are you okay, Yui?
- 結衣 Yui少し大変だけど、頑張るよ。Sukoshi taihen dakedo, ganbaru yo.It's a bit tough, but I'll do my best.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 厳しい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 厳しい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
