严格
yángé
The English word 'strict' is translated into Chinese as 严格 (yángé), meaning governed or governing by exact rules.
It is frequently paired with the verb 遵守 (zūnshǒu, to abide by) to form the common collocation 严格遵守, which means 'to strictly abide by' or 'to strictly follow' rules or regulations.
Meaning: governed or governing by exact rules (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 严格 describes being strict through exact rules, 严厉 (yánlì) means strict but leans more towards severity and sternness. Additionally, 苛刻 (kēkè) carries a sense of being demanding and stringent.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 严格 as an adjective to modify a noun directly, it is often followed by the particle 的. To use 严格 as an adverb to modify a verb, you should add the particle 地 after it.
How do you pronounce it?
yángé
Did you know?
- The character 苛 (kē) in 苛刻 (kēkè) is the same character used in the idiom 苛政 (kēzhèng), which refers to the oppressive, heavy taxes historically imposed by corrupt officials. This gives the word a much heavier, more negative connotation of being 'unreasonable'.
- In Chinese culture, the concept of 'strictness' is often tied to the Confucian ideal of 严父 'strict father', representing a moral necessity rather than just a personality trait.
- The character 严 in 严格 can be written as 嚴, which contains the 'cliff' radical, visually suggesting the precarious or steep nature of a strict standard.
Examples in context
- 玛丽在严格节食中，对吗？Mary is on a strict diet, isn't she?This sentence is useful for describing a strict diet using 严格.Tatoeba #8743538 by cxpadonis, translation #7376592 by CF
- 用不着这么严格。There is no need to be so strict.This sentence is useful for expressing that there is no need for being so strict with 严格.Tatoeba #901922 by U2FS, translation #7841341 by basilhan
- 他在这方面不是很严格。He's not very strict about this.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is not very strict using 严格.Tatoeba #1325224 by vicch, translation #1496201 by weihaiping
- 这个学校很严格，学生必须遵守校规。(Zhège xuéxiào hěn yángé, xuéshēng bìxū zūnshǒu xiàoguī.)This school is very strict, and students must follow the school rules.
- 警察对交通违规行为非常严厉。(Jǐngchá duì jiāotōng wéiguī xíngwéi fēicháng yánlì.)The police are very strict when it comes to traffic violations.
- 这家公司对员工的工作要求非常苛刻。(Zhè jiā gōngsī duì yuángōng de gōngzuò yāoqiú fēicháng kēkè.)This company has very strict demands on its employees' work.
- 老师对学习要求很严。(Lǎoshī duì xuéxí yāoqiú hěn yán.)The teacher has strict requirements for studying.
- 这所学校的教学管理非常严明。(Zhè suǒ xuéxiào de jiàoxué guǎnlǐ fēicháng yánmíng.)The teaching management of this school is very strict and clear.
- 他爸爸的教育方法太刻板了。(Tā bà bà de jiàoyù fāngfǎ tài kèbǎn le.)His father's educational methods are too rigid.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is discussing their new puppy's training.
- 伟 Wei对小狗的训练要严格一点。Duì xiǎogǒu de xùnliàn yào yángé yīdiǎn.We need to be strict with the puppy's training.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen没问题，我会负责的。Méi wèntí, wǒ huì fùzé de.No problem, I will be in charge of it.
- 伟 Wei他性格很温柔，你得盯着点。Tā xìnggé hěn wēnróu, nǐ děi dīngzhe diǎn.He has a gentle personality, so you need to keep an eye on him.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen知道了，我会很严格的。Zhīdào le, wǒ huì hěn yángé de.I understand, I will be very strict.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
