遭难 (zāo nàn) — to meet with misfortune, to suffer a disaster (formal)

Definition

Examples

• 那场战争让无数平民遭难。
  Nà chǎng zhàn zhēng ràng wú shù píng mín zāo nàn.
  That war caused countless civilians to suffer disaster.
• 他年轻时遭过一次大难，后来才慢慢好起来。
  Tā nián qīng shí zāo guò yí cì dà nàn, hòu lái cái màn màn hǎo qǐ lái.
  He suffered a great calamity when young and only slowly recovered later.
• 如果事先做好准备，就不容易遭难了。
  Rú guǒ shì xiān zuò hǎo zhǔn bèi, jiù bù róng yì zāo nàn le.
  If you prepare in advance, it's not easy to meet with misfortune.