严重 (yánzhòng)

严重 means serious, severe, or grave, describing a problem, situation, or condition that has significant negative consequences or poses a significant threat. It is used to signal that something demands urgent attention.

Meanings

[adjective] Serious; severe; grave; critical; bad.

Example Sentences

如果不及时处理，这个问题可能会造成严重的后果。 Rúguǒ bù jíshí chǔlǐ, zhège wèntí kěnéng huì zàochéng yánzhòng de hòuguǒ. If not dealt with promptly, this problem could cause serious consequences.

他在事故中受了严重的伤，目前正在医院接受治疗。 Tā zài shìgù zhōng shòu le yánzhòng de shāng, mùqián zhèngzài yīyuàn jiēshòu zhìliáo. He suffered serious injuries in the accident and is currently receiving treatment in hospital.

长期睡眠不足会对身体和心理健康造成严重影响。 Chánggī shuìmián bùzú huì duì shēntǐ hé xīnlǐ jiànkāng zàochéng yánzhòng yǐngxiǎng. Chronic sleep deprivation can have serious effects on both physical and mental health.

水资源短缺问题在某些地区已经非常严重，急需解决。 Shuǐ zīyuán duǎnquē wèntí zài mǒuxiē dìqū yǐjīng fēicháng yánzhòng, jí xū jiějué. The problem of water resource scarcity is already very severe in some regions and urgently needs to be addressed.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
严重问题	serious problem
严重后果	serious consequences
严重影响	severe impact
非常严重	extremely serious
情况严重	the situation is grave

Usage Notes

严重 is primarily an attributive and predicative adjective: 严重问题 (serious problem), 情况很严重 (the situation is very serious). It can also function as an adverb before certain verbs: 严重影响 (seriously affect), 严重威胁 (seriously threaten). Compare with 严格 (yángé, strict/rigorous), which describes enforcement of standards, while 严重 describes the scale of a negative situation.

Memory Hook

严 means "solemn/strict" and 重 means "heavy/weighty." Something 严重 carries a solemn and heavy weight — a problem so weighty that it bends the ground beneath it and cannot be ignored.