干ばつ

• Reading: かんばつ
• Romaji: kanbatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 干 (kan) — dry, drought. ばつ is from 魃 (batsu) — drought demon, typically written in hiragana
• Pronunciation: /kaɴ.ba.t͡sɯ/

Meaning

Drought. A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall leading to water shortages.

A noun describing severe dry conditions that damage crops and water supplies. Written with the kanji 干 (dry) plus hiragana ばつ — the full kanji form 干魃 uses 魃, a rare character depicting a drought demon from Chinese mythology. The hiragana spelling is standard in modern usage. Frequently appears in news about climate, agriculture, and international humanitarian issues.

Examples

1. 長引く干ばつで農作物に深刻な被害が出た。 The prolonged drought caused severe damage to crops.
2. アフリカの干ばつは年々悪化している。 Drought in Africa is getting worse every year.
3. 干ばつに備えて、水の使用を制限する必要がある。 We need to restrict water usage to prepare for drought.

Usage Guide

Context: news, agriculture, climate

Tone: serious

Origin & History

From 干 (kan, dry) + 魃 (batsu, drought demon). The character 魃 comes from Chinese mythology — a demon said to cause droughts. Written as 干ばつ in modern Japanese since 魃 is not in common use.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal