厄
unlucky, misfortune, bad luck, disaster
Readings
On'yomi
- ヤク
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
厄 centers on bad fortune and harmful events: unluckiness, misfortune, and disaster.
Most common words using 厄
20 of 28- 厄介やっかいN3
trouble; burden; nuisance; bother; worry
- 災厄さいやく
calamity; disaster; accident
- 厄やく
misfortune; bad luck; evil; disaster
- 厄年やくどし
unlucky year; critical year; year (esp. age 25 and 42 for men, 19 and 33 for women) that is considered unlucky (orig. in Onmyōdō)
- 厄除けやくよけ
warding off evil; protecting against misfortune
- 厄払いやくばらい
exorcism; ceremonial cleansing from evil influence
- 厄日やくび
unlucky day; bad day; evil day; ill-omened day; off day
- 前厄まえやく
the year before a critical age; the year before an inauspicious year
- 厄を落とすやくをおとす
to exorcise; to escape evil
- 厄ネタやくネタ
source of trouble
- 厄介なことにやっかいなことに
the trouble is ...; to make matters worse; troublingly
- 厄介事やっかいごと
troublesome matter; burden; difficult task; chore; hassle
- 厄介払いやっかいばらい
driving off a troublesome person; getting rid of a nuisance
- 厄介物やっかいもの
nuisance; encumbrance
- 厄介者やっかいもの
burden; nuisance; bother; troublemaker
- 厄前やくまえ
the year before the unlucky year
- 厄災やくさい
calamity; disaster; accident
- 厄落としやくおとし
escape from evil; exorcism
- 厄負けやくまけ
victimized by the unlucky year; victimised by the unlucky year
- 厄運やくうん
bad luck; misfortune
Study
Etymology
厄 is thought to depict a person under a cliff or in a tight spot, symbolizing hardship or misfortune. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The outer 厂 looks like a cliff, and the inner 㔾 resembles a person crouching. Imagine someone trapped under a cliff, bringing bad luck and disaster.
Reading mnemonic
For ヤク, picture a yak (ヤク) bringing misfortune by trampling a village. The yak's bad luck ties the sound to the meaning.