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灾难 (zāi nàn) — disaster, catastrophe

Definition

灾难 (zāinàn) is a general, written term for 'disaster / catastrophe' — stronger and more formal than the short 灾, and broader than 灾害, which usually names a specific natural hazard like a flood or drought.

noun
disastercatastrophe
Measure word · 场

Examples

  • 灾难。
    Yì chǎng zāi nàn ràng hěn duō rén shī qù le jiā.
    A disaster caused many people to lose their homes.
  • 灾难，。
    Miàn duì tū rán lái lín de zāi nàn, tā men hěn yǒng gǎn.
    Facing the sudden disaster, they were very brave.
  • 灾难。
    Zhè cì zāi nàn tí xǐng wǒ men yào bǎo hù huán jìng.
    This disaster reminds us to protect the environment.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

灾zāidisaster
难nánhardship

灾 and 难 both refer to calamity or hardship, so together they mean disaster.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 災; 灾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡿧
𡿧𡿧災zāi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 災 combines 火 (fire) with 𡿧, an old picture of flowing water that supplied the sound; the simplified 灾 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 灾 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
暵
暵hàn難nán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Open 难 →
Appears in
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