严重
yánzhòng · HSK 4
grave
⚠️ 严 = strict + 重 = heavy; strict-heavy = serious, grave
严 means strict or stern, 重 means heavy or weighty. Together: a matter weighed strictly, hence serious, severe, or critical. Used for illness, problems, or consequences that carry real weight.
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.
重 — person 人 + east 東 (phonetic)
Originally depicted a person carrying a heavy bundle on their back, suggesting weight and burden. The 東-like element served as a phonetic component. Over time the character split into two readings: zhòng meaning 'heavy' and chóng meaning 'repeat/again'.