严谨
yánjǐn · HSK 7
rigorous
📏 严谨 = 严 strict + 谨 careful = rigorous, strict-and-careful
严 means strict or stern; 谨 means cautious or prudent. Stack strict onto careful and you get the sense of rigorous, well-knit work that leaves no loose ends.
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.