harm, injury
On'yomi (音読み)
- ガイ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
—
About this kanji
The kanji 「害」 primarily means harm or injury. It is mostly used in words as a noun and less frequently as a verb. You will find it commonly in compounds like 公害 (こうがい), which means pollution, reflecting harm to the environment; 災害 (さいがい), meaning calamity or disaster, indicating significant damage or danger; and 殺害 (さつがい), which translates to killing, referring to the act of causing harm to another's life. A usage note: while this kanji carries a negative connotation, it is often linked to various social issues, making it relevant in discussions around public health and safety.
Example sentences
この物質は健康に害を及ぼす。
This substance harms health.
Meanings across languages
- English
- harm, injury
- Tiếng Việt
- hại, thương tích
- 日本語
- 害, 怪我
- 한국어
- 해, 부상
- 中文
- 害, 伤害
- id
- bahaya, cedera
- th
- ความเสียหาย, การบาดเจ็บ
- es
- daño, lesión
- fr
- dommages, blessure
- de
- Schaden, Verletzung
- pt
- dano, lesão
Common compounds
- 公害こうがいpollution, public nuisance, contamination
- 災害さいがいcalamity, disaster, misfortune
- 殺害さつがいkilling, murder
- 障害しょうがいobstacle, impediment, hindrance
- 侵害しんがいinfringement, violation, invasion
- 損害そんがいdamage, injury, loss
- 被害ひがい(suffering) damage, injury, harm
- 弊害へいがいharmful effect, harmful influence, evil practice
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.