厳しい (きびしい) — strict, severe

厳きびしい strict

Frequency #772 Frequency rank among common Japanese words. Lower number = more common. Grade 6 3 characters i-adjective

kibishii

きびしい

Pitch高低アクセント — Tokyo-dialect pitch accent. The number is the drop position: 0 = heiban (no drop), 1 = atamadaka (drops after 1st mora), N = drops after Nth mora. The line above each mora marks high pitch; below, low. きびしい[3] nakadaka 中高

Synth audio is approximate — the diagram is the canonical reference.

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Meanings

strict
severe

Explained in simple Japanese

きまりにうるさくて、ゆるしてくれないようす。

Easy Japanese for learners, with furigana. AI-generated.

Usage examples

当時とうじ、日本にほんは外国がいこくとの関係かんけいを厳きびしく制限せいげんしていました。

Touji, nihon wa gaikoku to no kankei o kibishiku seigen shite imashita.

At the time, Japan strictly limited its relations with foreign countries.

明治維新 — 日本が大きく変わった時 · MojiMori（AIオリジナル） · 第1章　黒船が来る前と、来た後

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Adjective forms

Non-past covers present and future. Expand a form to see its plain, polite, affirmative and negative versions, where available. Some forms have multiple variants.

Na-adjectives use forms of だ. Conjectural and imperative forms can be formal or literary; everyday usage depends on context.

Compare conjugations

Non-past (present / future)

Plain · Affirmative

厳しい

きびしい

kibishii

Plain · Negative

厳しくない

きびしくない

kibishikunai

Polite · Affirmative

厳しいです

きびしいです

kibishiidesu

Polite · Negative

厳しくないです

きびしくないです

kibishikunaidesu

Alternative variant

厳しくありません

きびしくありません

kibishikuarimasen

Past

Plain · Affirmative

厳しかった

きびしかった

kibishikatta

Plain · Negative

厳しくなかった

きびしくなかった

kibishikunakatta

Polite · Affirmative

厳しかったです

きびしかったです

kibishikattadesu

Polite · Negative

厳しくなかったです

きびしくなかったです

kibishikunakattadesu

Alternative variant

厳しくありませんでした

きびしくありませんでした

kibishikuarimasendeshita

Te-form (connecting)

Plain · Affirmative

厳しくて

きびしくて

kibishikute

Plain · Negative

厳しくなくて

きびしくなくて

kibishikunakute

Provisional (〜ば)

Plain · Affirmative

厳しければ

きびしければ

kibishikereba

Plain · Negative

厳しくなければ

きびしくなければ

kibishikunakereba

Causative (make / cause to be)

Plain · Affirmative

厳しくさせる

きびしくさせる

kibishikusaseru

Conjectural (probably)

Plain · Affirmative

厳しかろう

きびしかろう

kibishikarou

Polite · Affirmative

厳しいでしょう

きびしいでしょう

kibishiideshou

Conditional (〜たら)

Plain · Affirmative

厳しかったら

きびしかったら

kibishikattara

Plain · Negative

厳しくなかったら

きびしくなかったら

kibishikunakattara

Alternative (〜たり)

Plain · Affirmative

厳しかったり

きびしかったり

kibishikattari

Kanji UsedColors show the reading used in this word: blue = on’yomi (Chinese-derived), green = kun’yomi (native Japanese), purple = nanori (name readings), amber = jukujikun (whole-word readings). Uncolored tiles have no identified reading type.

きび厳 stern

Related Words

Words with 厳 (10)

厳(げん)密(みつ) genmitsu strict 厳(げん)格(かく) genkaku strict 厳(げん)選(せん) gensen careful selection 尊(そん)厳(げん) songen dignity 厳(げん)重(じゅう) genjuu strict 厳(おごそ)か ogosoka solemn (ceremony, atmosphere, etc.) 厳(きび)しさ kibishisa severity 厳(げん)守(しゅ) genshu strict observance

See all on kanji page →

Remember 厳しい

Meanings

Explained in simple Japanese

Usage examples

Adjective forms

Kanji UsedColors show the reading used in this word: blue = on’yomi (Chinese-derived), green = kun’yomi (native Japanese), purple = nanori (name readings), amber = jukujikun (whole-word readings). Uncolored tiles have no identified reading type.

Related Words

Words with 厳 (10)

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