(huò) - Misfortune, disaster, calamity & to bring disaster upon

Tone 4

huò | 11 strokes | radical:

· huò

Misfortune, disaster, calamity;

to bring disaster upon;

harm, damage.

Misfortune, disaster, calamityto bring disaster uponharm, damage.

Usage highlights

Disaster, calamityTo bring disaster uponTo avoid calamityMisfortune and blessingTo cause troubleSource of trouble

Synonyms

  • disaster, calamity
  • calamity, difficulty
  • disaster, calamity

Antonyms

  • blessing, good fortune
  • auspicious, lucky
  • auspicious, propitious

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The earthquake was a terrible disaster (祸事).
  • He brought misfortune upon his family (祸及家人).
  • They tried to avoid calamity (避祸).
  • The villain caused great harm (祸害).

Collocations

  • Disaster, calamity(祸事)
  • To bring disaster upon(祸及)
  • To avoid calamity(避祸)
  • Misfortune and blessing(祸福)
  • To cause trouble(闯祸)
  • Source of trouble(祸根)

Idioms

  • Misfortune and fortune are intertwined(祸福相依)
  • Disaster comes from careless talk(祸从口出)
  • Bring calamity upon the nation and the people(祸国殃民)
  • Misfortune lies where happiness rests(祸兮福之所倚)
  • Disaster descends from heaven(祸从天降)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese philosophy, 祸 is often contrasted with 福 (blessing), representing the dual nature of fate.
  • The character appears in many cautionary idioms warning against careless speech and actions.
  • Historically associated with natural disasters, political turmoil, and personal misfortunes in classical texts.

FAQ