劫数 (jié shù) — fated calamity; predestined doom; unavoidable disaster

Definition

劫数 (jiéshù) is a fatalistic, literary word for a calamity that fate has already decided — it cannot be avoided or changed. Stronger and more doom-laden than ordinary 'disaster' (灾难), and carries a Buddhist sense of predestined suffering.

noun
fated calamitypredestined doomunavoidable disaster

Examples

  • 劫数
    Zhè chǎng zhàn zhēng duì tā lái shuō shì yì chǎng wú fǎ bì miǎn de jié shù.
    This war was an unavoidable calamity for him.
  • 劫数
    Zài xiǎo shuō lǐ, zhǔ rén gōng shǐ zhōng táo bú guò zhù dìng de jié shù.
    In the novel, the protagonist can never escape his destined doom.
  • 劫数
    Gǔ rén rèn wéi hàn zāi shì tiān jiàng de jié shù, bù kě kàng jù.
    Ancient people believed drought was a fated calamity from heaven, irresistible.

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