严重 (yán zhòng) — grave in Mandarin
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#444 most common word · HSK 4 · CEFR B2
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
严重 is pronounced yán zhòng. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Zhège wèn tí hěn yán zhòng.
This problem is serious.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 严重 mean?+
严重 (yán zhòng) means "grave" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 严重?+
严重 is pronounced yán zhòng. It uses the tone 2 (rising), then the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 严重 in Mandarin?+
严重 is the #444 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 严重 fits
Every HSK 4 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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