Correct
严厉 vs 厉害
/ yánlì vs lìhai /
Strokes
Definition
Both 严厉 (yánlì) and 厉害 (lìhai) can describe someone or something as strict, severe, or intense, but they are used in different contexts and have different connotations. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
1. 严厉 (yánlì) – "Strict" or "Stern" (Usually Negative, Formal)
Usage:
Describes People Who Are Strict or Harsh (Often in Authority)
- Used for parents, teachers, bosses, or rules that are uncompromising and severe.
- Often has a negative or disciplinary tone (implies fear or punishment).
- 我的老师很严厉。 (Wǒ de lǎoshī hěn yánlì.) – "My teacher is very strict."
- 他对孩子太严厉了。 (Tā duì háizi tài yánlì le.) – "He is too strict with children."
Describes Rules, Punishments, or Criticism
- Used for laws, punishments, or criticism that are harsh or unforgiving.
- 这个国家的法律很严厉。 (Zhège guójiā de fǎlǜ hěn yánlì.) – "This country’s laws are very strict."
- 他受到了严厉的批评。 (Tā shòudào le yánlì de pīpíng.) – "He received harsh criticism."
Cannot Describe Physical Pain or Natural Phenomena
- ❌ Wrong: 这个伤口很严厉。 (Should use 厉害.)
2. 厉害 (lìhai) – "Severe," "Intense," or "Amazing" (Neutral, Informal)
Usage:
Describes Physical Pain, Illness, or Weather (Severe/Intense)
- Used for pain, sickness, or natural disasters that are strong or extreme.
- 我的头疼得很厉害。 (Wǒ de tóu téng de hěn lìhai.) – "My headache is very severe."
- 今天的风很厉害。 (Jīntiān de fēng hěn lìhai.) – "The wind today is very strong."
Describes People Who Are Skilled or Fierce (Positive or Negative)
- Can mean "talented" (positive) or "fierce/ruthless" (negative) depending on context.
- 他打篮球很厉害。 (Tā dǎ lánqiú hěn lìhai.) – "He is really good at basketball." (Positive)
- 那个老板对员工很厉害。 (Nàgè lǎobǎn duì yuángōng hěn lìhai.) – "That boss is very harsh with employees." (Negative)
Can Describe Abstract Things (Competition, Arguments, etc.)
- Used for intense situations like arguments, competitions, or conflicts.
- 这场比赛很厉害。 (Zhè chǎng bǐsài hěn lìhai.) – "This match is very intense."
- 他们吵得很厉害。 (Tāmen chǎo de hěn lìhai.) – "They argued fiercely."
3. Key Differences Summary
| Feature | 严厉 (yánlì) | 厉害 (lìhai) |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | "Strict," "stern" (disciplinary) | "Severe," "intense," "amazing" |
| Tone | Usually negative (harsh authority) | Neutral (can be positive or negative) |
| Usage for People | Parents, teachers, bosses (strict) | Skilled (positive) or fierce (negative) |
| Usage for Pain/Weather | ❌ (Cannot use) | ✅ (e.g., "headache is severe") |
| Formality | More formal | More informal/colloquial |
| Example (Person) | "老师很严厉。" (Strict teacher) | "他篮球很厉害。" (Skilled at basketball) |
| Example (Situation) | "法律很严厉。" (Strict law) | "风很厉害。" (Strong wind) |
Final Summary
- Use 严厉 (yánlì) for strict authority figures or harsh rules (negative tone).
- Use 厉害 (lìhai) for intense pain, weather, or skilled/fierce people (neutral tone).
Example
Both 严厉 and 厉害 are Adjectives. 厉害 has the meaning of "being hard to deal with, severe, fierce, of high degree, etc". 严厉 has the meaning of "stern and severe with the emphasis on one's attitude or measures taken".
1) 严厉 often takes 地 to function as an adverbial,as in example ②.
2) 厉害 often takes 得 to function as a complement as in examples ③ and ④, or takes a complement with 得 as in example ⑤.
3) In example ① 厉害 can replace 严厉 but with a less severe tone.
4) In the examples ③ ④ the two words are not interchangeable.
2) 厉害 often takes 得 to function as a complement as in examples ③ and ④, or takes a complement with 得 as in example ⑤.
3) In example ① 厉害 can replace 严厉 but with a less severe tone.
4) In the examples ③ ④ the two words are not interchangeable.
1
Zhè
这
wèi
位
lǎoshī
老师
duì
对
xuésheng
学生
shí
十
fēn
分
yánlì
严厉
(
lìhai
厉害
)
。
The teacher is strict with his students.
2
Fùmǔ
父母
yánlì
严厉
dì
地
pīpíng
批评
le
了
táoxué
逃学
de
的
érzi
儿子
。
The parents severely criticized his child for his playing truant.
3
Zuótiān
昨天
gāng
刚
zuò
做
wán
完
shǒushù
手术
,
dāokǒu
刀口
téng
疼
de
得
lìhai
厉害
。
He had an operation yesterday,and he felt an acute pain in his incision.
4
Xīběifēng
西北风
guā
刮
de
得
hěn
很
lìhai
厉害
。
The northwest wind blows strongly.
5
Tā
她
zhège
这个
rén
人
lìhai
厉害
(
yánlì
严厉
)
de
得
yǒuxiē
有些
bùjìnrénqíng
不近人情
。
She is too merciless, and seems unreasonable.
Mistake
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Wrong: 这个伤口很严厉。 (Should use 厉害.)
✅ Correct: 这个伤口很厉害。 (Zhège shāngkǒu hěn lìhai.) – "This wound is very painful."
❌ Wrong: 我的老板很厉害。 (If meaning "strict," use 严厉.)
✅ Correct: 我的老板很严厉。 (Wǒ de lǎobǎn hěn yánlì.) – "My boss is very strict."
Exercise
Practice Sentences
Choose 严厉 or 厉害:
- 这个惩罚太____了。 (严厉 – harsh punishment)
- 他数学很____。 (厉害 – skilled)
- 昨天的暴风雨很____。 (厉害 – intense storm)
- 父亲对孩子很____。 (严厉 – strict parent)
Translate:
- "The teacher is very strict." → 老师很____。 (严厉)
- "This pain is unbearable." → 这个疼得很____。 (厉害)