严重 yán zhòng
“grave; serious; severe”
adjective, adverbial adjectiveHSK 4 · 2021 list level 4Traditional 嚴重
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
严重 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1845: 严重 yánzhòng — Level 4; official annotation 4 (形). PDF page 126
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 严重
严重 means “serious” or “severe” and is used for problems, illnesses, situations, or effects. It often appears after 很 or 得 (很严重, 病得很严重) or before a noun/verb (严重的问题, 严重影响). It does not describe a person's stern manner; use 严肃 for that.
例句Example sentences
- 这个问题很严重，我们要马上解决。zhè ge wèn tí hěn yán zhòng, wǒ men yào mǎ shàng jiě jué.This problem is serious; we need to solve it right away.
- 他病得很严重，已经住院了。tā bìng de hěn yán zhòng, yǐ jīng zhù yuàn le.He is seriously ill and has already been hospitalized.
- 大雨严重影响了比赛。dà yǔ yán chóng yǐng xiǎng le bǐ sài.The heavy rain seriously affected the match.