災い

• Reading: わざわい
• Romaji: wazawai
• Kanji breakdown: 災 (wazawai/sai) — disaster, calamity, misfortune
• Pronunciation: /wa.za.wai/

Meaning

Disaster; calamity; misfortune. An unfortunate event that brings suffering or trouble.

A noun referring to misfortune, disaster, or calamity. More literary and evocative than 災害 (saigai, disaster), carrying a sense of fate or inevitability. Central to several well-known proverbs: 災い転じて福となす (wazawai tenjite fuku to nasu, turn misfortune into fortune) and 口は災いの元 (kuchi wa wazawai no moto, the mouth is the source of misfortune). Can refer to both natural and human-caused misfortune.

Examples

1. 口は災いの元だから、発言には気をつけよう。 They say the mouth is the source of misfortune, so let's be careful about what we say.
2. 思わぬ災いが降りかかることもある。 Unexpected misfortune can sometimes come crashing down on you.
3. 災いを転じて福となす、という考え方が好きだ。 I like the idea of turning misfortune into good fortune.

Usage Guide

Context: proverbs, literature, daily conversation

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Native Japanese word (wago). The kanji 災 depicts fire (火) above a river (巛), representing the destructive forces of nature. Originally referred to calamities caused by natural forces.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal