严峻
yán jùn · HSK 7
severe
⛰️ 严 strict + 峻 steep mountain = a situation as harsh and steep as a sheer cliff
严 means strict or stern; 峻 carries the 山 mountain radical and means steep or towering. Together they describe conditions that feel grim, severe, and unforgiving — the way a sheer mountain face gives no easy footing.
严 — mouth 口 (top) + cliff 厂 + 敢 (phonetic)
严 (traditional 嚴) originally depicted shouting mouths 吅 over a cliff 厂 with 敢 'dare' as the phonetic, suggesting a stern command issued from on high. The core meaning shifted from 'urgent shouting' to 'strict, severe, solemn'. The simplified form 严 keeps the top mouth and cliff while dropping most of the phonetic.