厳しい

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
厳
きび Grade: 6
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
嚴しい (kyūjitai)

Originally from regular classical adjective 厳し (kibishi, “tight, close, without gaps”), first cited to roughly 830.

This earlier form later shifted conjugation patterns, from the so-called "-ku adjective" to the "-shiku adjective" pattern. The two conjugation types appear to have been in broadly free variation, with both forms developing the strict; severe senses in parallel. Historically, while there was some overlap, there does appear to be a sense distinction in Classical Japanese texts, wherein the older "-ku adjective" form was used more commonly to express the more objective qualities of "tight, close", while the "-shiku adjective" was used more commonly to express the more subjective qualities of "severe; harsh".

The "-shiku adjective" pattern is first cited from the late 900s.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) きびし​い [kìbíshíꜜì] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [kʲibʲiɕii]

• Tokyo pitch accent of inflected forms of "厳しい"

Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Continuative (連用形)	厳しく	きび​しく きびし​く	[kìbíꜜshìkù] [kìbíshíꜜkù]
Terminal (終止形)	厳しい	きびし​い	[kìbíshíꜜì]
Attributive (連体形)	厳しい	きびし​い	[kìbíshíꜜì]
Key constructions
Informal negative	厳しくない	きび​しくない きびし​くない	[kìbíꜜshìkùnàì] [kìbíshíꜜkùnàì]
Informal past	厳しかった	きび​しかった きびし​かった	[kìbíꜜshìkàttà] [kìbíshíꜜkàttà]
Informal negative past	厳しくなかった	きび​しくなかった きびし​くなかった	[kìbíꜜshìkùnàkàttà] [kìbíshíꜜkùnàkàttà]
Formal	厳しいです	きびし​いです	[kìbíshíꜜìdèsù]
Conjunctive	厳しくて	きび​しくて きびし​くて	[kìbíꜜshìkùtè] [kìbíshíꜜkùtè]
Conditional	厳しければ	きび​しければ きびし​ければ	[kìbíꜜshìkèrèbà] [kìbíshíꜜkèrèbà]

Adjective

厳(きび)しい • (kibishii) -i (adverbial 厳(きび)しく (kibishiku))

1. [from late 900s] stern, grave, forbidding; dignified, stately
2. [from early 1000s] strict, unforgiving
3. [from 1116] tight, close, without gaps
4. [from 1179] harsh, tough, extreme, severe, hard to withstand (said of natural phenomena)

   厳(きび)しい山(やま)、厳(きび)しい猛暑(もうしょ)、厳(きび)しい環境(かんきょう)

   kibishii yama, kibishii mōsho, kibishii kankyō

   a tough (steep) mountain, a severe heat wave, a harsh environment

5. [from 1710] extreme, excessive, terrible (said of an action)

   あの打撲(だぼく)は厳(きび)しいよ！

   Ano daboku wa kibishii yo!

   That's a terrible blow!

6. [from late 1700s?] dire, difficult, tight (said of a situation)

   読(よ)むのが厳(きび)しい

   yomu no ga kibishii

   difficult to read

Inflection

Inflection of 厳しい

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	厳しかろ	きびしかろ	kibishikaro
Continuative (連用形)	厳しく	きびしく	kibishiku
Terminal (終止形)	厳しい	きびしい	kibishii
Attributive (連体形)	厳しい	きびしい	kibishii
Hypothetical (仮定形)	厳しけれ	きびしけれ	kibishikere
Imperative (命令形)	厳しかれ	きびしかれ	kibishikare
Key constructions
Informal negative	厳しくない	きびしくない	kibishiku nai
Informal past	厳しかった	きびしかった	kibishikatta
Informal negative past	厳しくなかった	きびしくなかった	kibishiku nakatta
Formal	厳しいです	きびしいです	kibishii desu
Formal negative	厳しくないです	きびしくないです	kibishiku nai desu
Formal past	厳しかったです	きびしかったです	kibishikatta desu
Formal negative past	厳しくなかったです	きびしくなかったです	kibishiku nakatta desu
Conjunctive	厳しくて	きびしくて	kibishikute
Conditional	厳しければ	きびしければ	kibishikereba
Provisional	厳しかったら	きびしかったら	kibishikattara
Volitional	厳しかろう	きびしかろう	kibishikarō
Adverbial	厳しく	きびしく	kibishiku
Degree	厳しさ	きびしさ	kibishisa

Synonyms

• (harsh): きつい (kitsui)
• (strict): 厳格(げんかく)な (genkaku na), 堅(かた)い (katai), (Kagoshima) いね (ine)
• (terrible): 激(はげ)しい (hageshii)

Related terms

• 厳(きび)し (kibishi, classical)
• きぶい (kibui)
• きびきび (kibikibi, adverb)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
厳
いつく Grade: 6
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
嚴しい (kyūjitai) 美しい (rare) 慈しい (rare)

From the 連体形 (rentaikei, “attributive form”) of Early Middle Japanese adjective 厳し (itsukushi), with the medial /-k-/ falling out.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [it͡sɨᵝkɯ̟ᵝɕii]

Adjective

厳(いつく)しい • (itsukushii) -i (adverbial 厳(いつく)しく (itsukushiku))

1. [from 759] (rare, archaic) wondrous, miraculous, splendid, sublime
2. [from early 1000s] (rare, archaic) dignified, solemn, stern, noble, refined
3. [from 1420] (rare, archaic) beautiful, pretty
   • c. 14-16th century: Kazashi no Himegimi

     姫君一人おはします。[...] 御かたちを見るに、髪のかかり、眉、口つき、いつくしくて [...]

Derived terms

• 慈(いつく)しむ (itsukushimu)

References

• Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.