Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
災難 (さいなん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N2 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun
calamity ; misfortune ; disaster
Refers to an unfortunate event or accident that befalls someone, often implying bad luck or an unexpected mishap. Can be used for both large-scale disasters and personal misfortunes.
災さい
難なん
続つづ
き
で
落お
ち
込こ
ん
で
いる
。
He's depressed because of a series of misfortunes.
Kanji 難 difficult, impossible, trouble Similar words 災さい 害がい 災害 refers to a large-scale natural or man-made disaster (earthquake, flood, etc.), while 災難 is broader and includes personal misfortunes and accidents.
不ふ 幸こう 不幸 means unhappiness or misfortune in a general sense, often with an emotional focus, whereas 災難 emphasizes the event or accident itself.
Etymology Compound of 災 (calamity, misfortune) and 難 (difficulty, hardship). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination has been used to mean 'misfortune' or 'calamity' since classical times.
