About
The character "灾", denoting disaster, evolved from the traditional form "災" which conceptually combined representations of water and fire to symbolize foundational natural calamities. Initially reflecting specific physical catastrophes like floods and conflagrations, its semantic range gradually broadened to encompass general misfortune and man-made crises. The structural shift to the simplified "灾", with its components of a roof over fire, introduced a nuance of domestic or contained devastation while maintaining the core idea of ruin, demonstrating how the character's etymological roots in elemental destruction have been continuously adapted to convey a wider spectrum of adversity.
Example Sentences Hide
昨天这里发生了火灾。
洪水造成严重水灾。
自然灾害很难预测。
政府正在组织救灾工作。
受灾群众需要帮助。
这次地震是一场大灾难。
预防灾害比救灾更重要。
国际社会援助灾后重建。