干旱

• Pinyin: gān hàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 干 = 一 + 十 (dry, bare); 旱 = 日 + 干 (drought — sun above dry ground)

Meaning

Drought; dry and parched. A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall resulting in water shortage and agricultural damage.

Used as both a noun (干旱来袭 — drought strikes) and an adjective (土地干旱 — arid land). Common in agriculture, meteorology, environmental science, and news reporting. Often paired with 缺水 (water shortage) and 减产 (crop failure). Distinct from 干燥, which simply describes a low-moisture state without implying disaster.

Examples

1. 持续数月的严重干旱导致当地大片农作物减产，粮食供应出现明显的结构性缺口。 Months of severe drought led to major crop losses locally, creating a clear structural gap in the food supply.
2. 科学家警告，全球气候变化将使部分地区的干旱频率和强度显著增加，威胁粮食安全。 Scientists warn that global climate change will significantly increase the frequency and intensity of drought in some regions, threatening food security.
3. 干旱的气候条件迫使当地农民不得不调整种植结构，逐步转向耗水量更低的经济作物。 Dry conditions have forced local farmers to adjust what they plant, gradually shifting toward cash crops that require less water.

Usage Guide

Context: agriculture, meteorology, environment, news

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 联合国粮食及农业组织发出预警，萨赫勒地区正面临持续加剧的干旱威胁，亟需国际援助介入。(The UN Food and Agriculture Organization issued a warning that the Sahel region is facing an intensifying drought threat, urgently requiring international aid.)
• 连续三年的干旱使这个本已脆弱的农业生态系统雪上加霜，粮食危机一触即发。(Three consecutive years of drought have compounded the damage to an already fragile agricultural ecosystem, bringing a food crisis to the verge of eruption.)

Don't Say

• 我的嘴唇很干旱 — 干旱 describes large-scale climate or weather conditions; use 干燥 or 干裂 for describing dryness of skin, lips, or surfaces

Origin & History

干 (dry/bare) + 旱 (drought/dry weather)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal