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JLPT N215画 · 15 strokesradical 禾freq #800

calamity, disaster

On'yomi (音読み)

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • わざわい

Mnemonic

A farmer's crop (禾) is transformed (化) into a calamity when a disaster strikes, ruining all hopes for a good harvest.

About this kanji

The kanji 禍, pronounced as "ka" in on'yomi and "wazawai" in kun'yomi, primarily means calamity or disaster. It is often used in nouns rather than verbs. Common compounds include 災禍 (saika), meaning calamity, which refers to unfortunate events; 禍根 (kakon), meaning root of misfortune, which signifies deep-seated problems causing trouble; and 禍福 (kafuku), meaning blessings and misfortunes, capturing the idea that good and bad fortune often coexist. A usage note is that although this kanji conveys disaster, it can also be used in discussions about life’s unpredictable nature, reflecting on how misfortunes can sometimes lead to unexpected positive outcomes.

Built from

Example sentences

  • 災禍を避けるために注意する。

    I will be careful to avoid calamities.

Meanings across languages

English
calamity, disaster
Tiếng Việt
tai ương, thảm hoạ
日本語
災難, 災害
한국어
재앙, 재해
中文
灾难, 灾祸
id
bencana, musibah
th
หายนะ, ภัยพิบัติ
es
calamidad, desastre
fr
calamité, désastre
de
Unglück, Katastrophe
pt
calamidade, desastre

Common compounds

  • 災禍さいかcalamity, disaster
  • 禍根かこんroot of misfortune
  • 禍福かふくblessings and misfortunes

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