Meaning
苛 describes something overly strict, demanding, or harsh, often to an unreasonable degree. It typically applies to rules, laws, conditions, or requirements that are excessively severe or difficult to meet. The character conveys a sense of oppressiveness or being overly critical.
Usage
This is a fairly literary or formal character, more common in written Chinese than casual speech. It frequently appears in compounds like 苛刻 (kēkè, harsh/exacting) and 苛政 (kēzhèng, oppressive government). When used alone, it often precedes nouns to describe harsh conditions or requirements.
Examples
- 01这些规定太苛刻了，很难遵守。, .These regulations are too harsh and difficult to comply with.
- 02苛政猛于虎是一句古老的谚语。.Oppressive government is fiercer than tigers is an ancient proverb.
Common collocations
- 苛刻的要求harsh requirements
- 苛政猛于虎oppressive government is fiercer than tigers
- 苛捐杂税exorbitant taxes and levies
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines the grass radical 艹 (cǎo) on top with 可 (kě) below. Originally it referred to a type of bitter grass, and the meaning extended metaphorically to describe bitter, harsh, or severe conditions.