# 災 disaster

<<< (ku klux klan) + 火 (fire)
★★★☆☆
7 strokes
DUH

## Onyomi

SAI |

## Mnemonic

| You SIGH as 2 disasters strike your birthday party - KKK plus a fire.

## Kunyomi

わざわ*い | a personal misfortune: house burned down, father had a stroke ★★★☆☆

## Jukugo

災害(さいがい) | natural disaster ★★★☆☆ 災 (disaster) + 害 (damage) = 災害 (natural disaster) natural disaster - earthquake, fire, flood, your mother's flattus, etc.
火災(かさい) | disaster fire ★☆☆☆☆ NP 火 (fire) + 災 (disaster) = 火災 (disaster fire) a slightly more newspaper-ish word for a harmful blaze.
災難(さいなん) | disaster ★☆☆☆☆ 災 (disaster) + 難 (difficult) = 災難 (disaster) this means disaster - not in the sense of earthquakes or tsunami. Disaster in the sense of 'How was your trip to Tahiti?' 'Oh my god, it was a total disaster!!! First we missed the plane, then I got an infection, then on top of all that our hotel was run by zombies!' 災難　carries the sense of a bunch of random unconnected misfortunes. It never rains, but it pours, kind of thing.

## Synonyms

disaster 災害 災い 災難
fire 火事 炎 火災 火