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.
War is a great calamity for humanity.
Aid was sent to the region struck by the flood disaster.
root of evil; source of trouble; cause of misfortune
calamity; disaster; catastrophe
war damage; ravages of war; horrors of war
disaster; calamity; catastrophe
ravages of war; war damage; war calamity
unforeseen misfortune; unexpected calamity
disaster; calamity; trouble
flood disaster; drowning
calamity; disturbance; disorder; turmoil
cause of trouble; root of misfortune
evil; harm; mischief
source of misfortune; root of calamity
fortune and misfortune; weal and woe
trouble caused by one's writing
Standard kanji spelling for this word.
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.