Adjectives / 形容词
厉害 vs 严重
severe/impressive vs serious/grave — positive vs negative
Comparison / 对比
| 厉害 lìhai | 严重 yánzhòng | |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | Can be positive OR negative | Always negative |
| Positive | 你太厉害了！(You're amazing!) | Cannot be used as praise |
| Negative | 头疼得厉害 (terrible headache) | 污染很严重 (serious pollution) |
| Objects | People, skills, pain, weather | Problems, situations, illness, damage |
Examples / 例句
厉害: 她中文说得太厉害了！/ 外面风刮得很厉害。
Her Chinese is amazing! / The wind outside is fierce. (positive + negative uses)
严重: 空气污染问题越来越严重了。
Air pollution is getting more and more serious. (always negative)
Quick rule: 厉害 is versatile — compliment (你真厉害!) or describe severity (疼得厉害). 严重 is ONLY for bad situations (严重的问题/污染/错误). Never say ×你真严重 as a compliment.
Fill in the Blank / 填空练习
Type the correct word to complete each sentence. Press Enter or click Check.
这次的交通事故非常，好几个人受伤了。
他一个人就把这个项目做完了，真！
最近雾霾越来越了。
Quick Quiz / 小测验
这次的交通事故非常，好几个人受伤了。
Accident = negative situation → 严重.
他一个人就把这个项目做完了，真！
Praising someone → 厉害 (impressive).
最近雾霾越来越了，出门要戴口罩。
Smog getting worse = negative problem → 严重. (厉害 also possible but 严重 is more precise.)