Definition
苛 is a bound form (b.f.) meaning 'severe' or 'exacting', but it never appears alone in modern Chinese. It combines with other characters to form compounds like 苛刻 (harsh, severe) and 苛求 (to demand excessively). You'll encounter 苛 mainly in formal, written, or literary contexts.
b.f.
severeexacting (bound form; occurs in compounds such as 苛刻, 苛求)
Examples
- 。Tā duì yuángōng de yāoqiú fēicháng kē kè.He is very harsh in his demands on employees.
- 。Jiāzhǎng bù yīnggāi kē qiú háizi.Parents should not demand too much of their children.
- 。Zhè zhǒng kē kè de tiáojiàn ràng rén wúfǎ jiēshòu.Such harsh conditions are unacceptable.
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