灾 (zāi) - Disaster, calamity, catastrophe & misfortune, suffering.

灾Tone 1

zāi ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 宀

悦丈

灾 · zāi

Disaster, calamity, catastrophe;

misfortune, suffering.

Disaster, calamity, catastrophemisfortune, suffering.

Usage highlights

Natural disasterFlood disasterDrought disasterFire disasterDisaster areaDisaster relief

Synonyms

  • 难— difficulty, disaster
  • 祸— misfortune, calamity
  • 害— harm, damage

Antonyms

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

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The earthquake was a major disaster (大地震).
  • Flood disaster (水灾) affected many regions.
  • Fire disaster (火灾) destroyed the building.
  • Natural disaster (自然灾害) prevention is important.

Collocations

  • Natural disaster(自然灾害)
  • Flood disaster(水灾)
  • Drought disaster(旱灾)
  • Fire disaster(火灾)
  • Disaster area(灾区)
  • Disaster relief(救灾)

Idioms

  • Disaster descends from heaven(天灾人祸)
  • Bring disaster upon oneself(惹灾招祸)
  • Misfortune never comes alone(祸不单行)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese thought, disasters were sometimes seen as heavenly warnings or punishments.
  • The character combines 'roof' (宀) and 'fire' (火), originally indicating a fire disaster under one's roof.
  • Modern usage extends to all types of calamities, both natural and man-made.

FAQ