Definition
灾难 (zāinàn) is the most common general word for a disaster or catastrophe, covering natural, man-made, and personal calamities. 灾害 (zāihài) is a close synonym used more often for natural disasters; 灾 (zāi) is the short form that mainly appears in compounds (e.g., 火灾). For a stronger, literary sense of 'catastrophe,' use 浩劫 (hàojié).
noun
disastercatastrophe
Examples
- 灾难。Yì chǎng zāi nàn ràng hěnduō rén shīqù le jiā.A disaster caused many people to lose their homes.
- 灾难，。Miànduì tūrán láilín de zāi nàn, tāmen hěn yǒnggǎn.Facing the sudden disaster, they were very brave.
- 灾难。Zhè cì zāi nàn tíxǐng wǒmen yào bǎohù huánjìng.This disaster reminds us to protect the environment.
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