災 (zāi) - Disaster, calamity, catastrophe & misfortune.

災Tone 1

zāi ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 火

悦丈

災 · zāi

Disaster, calamity, catastrophe;

misfortune.

Disaster, calamity, catastrophemisfortune.

Usage highlights

Natural disasterFlood disasterFire disasterDisaster areaDisaster reliefDisaster victim

Synonyms

  • 祸— misfortune, disaster
  • 难— calamity, difficulty

Antonyms

  • 福— blessing, good fortune
  • 吉— auspicious, lucky

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The earthquake was a major disaster (大地震).
  • They provided relief after the flood disaster (水灾).
  • Fire prevention is crucial to avoid fire disasters (火灾).

Collocations

  • Natural disaster(天灾)
  • Flood disaster(水灾)
  • Fire disaster(火灾)
  • Disaster area(灾区)
  • Disaster relief(救灾)
  • Disaster victim(灾民)

Idioms

  • Disaster descends from heaven(天灾人祸)
  • Misfortune never comes alone(祸不单行)
  • Escape from calamity and avoid disaster(逃灾避难)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese thought, disasters were sometimes seen as heavenly retribution for immoral rule.
  • The character's composition reflects water (川) and fire (火), representing two primary sources of calamity.

FAQ