强制

• Pinyin: qiáng zhì
• Hanzi breakdown: 强 = 弓 + 虫 (powerful bow — force and compulsion); 制 = 刀 + 未 (a knife cutting cloth — to regulate and control)

Meaning

To coerce, compel, or force compliance; to enforce by authority or power. Used for both legal enforcement and unlawful compulsion.

Common in legal, administrative, and political contexts. Appears frequently in compound forms: 强制执行 (to enforce/execute compulsorily), 强制措施 (compulsory measures), 强制性 (compulsory/mandatory). More formal and institutional than 强迫 (to compel/coerce), which is used for personal coercion.

Examples

1. 政府推出强制性医疗保险制度，要求所有在职人员必须参加，不得例外。 The government introduced a mandatory health insurance system requiring all employed people to enroll, with no exceptions.
2. 法院发出强制执行令，要求被告在限期内偿清全部债务。 The court issued a compulsory enforcement order requiring the defendant to repay all debts within the specified time limit.
3. 强制隔离措施在疫情初期有效遏制了病毒在社区内的大规模传播。 Mandatory quarantine measures in the early stage of the pandemic effectively curbed large-scale community transmission of the virus.

Usage Guide

Context: law, policy, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 根据新颁布的法规，企业必须在规定期限内完成碳排放改造，否则监管机构有权采取强制停产措施，直至达标为止。(According to the newly promulgated regulations, enterprises must complete carbon emission retrofits within the stipulated timeframe; otherwise, the regulatory authority has the power to enforce a compulsory production suspension until standards are met.)
• 学校对严重违规的学生采取了强制辅导措施，要求其在规定期间内每周接受专业心理咨询，以帮助其重新融入校园生活。(The school implemented compulsory counselling measures for seriously non-compliant students, requiring them to attend professional psychological consultations weekly during the designated period to help them reintegrate into school life.)

Don't Say

• 他强制我吃蔬菜 — 强制 is used for institutional or legal compulsion, not everyday personal pressure; say 他逼我吃蔬菜 (he forced me to eat vegetables) or 他非要让我吃蔬菜 (he insisted I eat vegetables) in casual contexts

Origin & History

强 (to force/compel) + 制 (to control/regulate)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal