警報

• Reading: けいほう
• Romaji: keihou
• Kanji breakdown: 警 (kei) — warn, guard; 報 (hō) — report, news, reward
• Pronunciation: /keː.hoː/

Meaning

A warning; an alarm; an official alert about danger.

Used for official warnings issued by authorities, particularly weather alerts (暴風警報, storm warning), emergency alarms (火災警報, fire alarm), and public safety notices. Stronger than 注意報 (advisory), a 警報 indicates a more serious level of threat requiring immediate attention.

Examples

1. 大雨警報が発令されたので学校が休みになった。 A heavy rain warning was issued, so school was canceled.
2. 火災警報が鳴ったのでビルから避難した。 The fire alarm went off, so we evacuated the building.
3. 津波警報が出たら高台に逃げてください。 If a tsunami warning is issued, please flee to higher ground.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, emergencies, public safety

Tone: urgent

Origin & History

Compound of 警 (warn, guard) + 報 (report, news). Literally 'warning report,' an official notification of danger.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal