noun, noun, used as a suffix
disaster; calamity; misfortune
Refers to a serious unfortunate event or state of misfortune. Often used in formal or written contexts. As a suffix, it attaches to nouns to indicate a disaster or harmful phenomenon related to that noun.
戦争は人類にとって大きな禍だ。
War is a great calamity for humanity.
洪水禍に見舞われた地域に支援が送られた。
Aid was sent to the region struck by the flood disaster.
災い is a more common and everyday word for misfortune or calamity, while 禍 is more formal and often used in compounds or written language.
災難 refers to a sudden accident or disaster, often personal, while 禍 can imply a broader or more abstract misfortune.
The kanji 禍 is composed of 示 (altar, divine) and 咼 (a phonetic component suggesting a spiral or distortion), conveying the idea of a divine punishment or unnatural disaster. The reading か is the on'yomi.