How to say "calamity" in Japanese

• 災害さいがいJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounCovers calamity as a large-scale disaster: an earthquake, typhoon, flood, or similar event causing physical damage. Choose this when 'calamity' means a disaster as an event, not personal misfortune.
  嵐あらしは、多おおくの災害さいがいを引き起ひきおこした。↗

  The storm caused a lot of damage.
• 災いわざわいCommon
  nounCovers calamity as misfortune or trouble that befalls a person, a family, or a community; it suggests ill fortune striking someone rather than a large-scale physical event.
  災わざわいを転てんじて福ふくとしなさい。↗

  Turn your misfortune to account.
• 災難さいなんJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounA calamity that befalls an individual: personal misfortune such as being caught up in an accident or meeting with some mishap. It views the disaster from the standpoint of the person who suffers it.
  人生じんせいに災難さいなんは付き物つきもの。↗

  Accidents will happen.
• 惨禍さんかCommon
  nounCalamity at its most catastrophic: a disaster that leaves horrific devastation and suffering behind. Choose it to stress the gruesome scale of destruction, far beyond an ordinary mishap.
• 悲劇ひげきJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounPrimarily 'tragedy': an event made tragic by the sorrow and loss it brings, or a tragedy as a dramatic genre. For 'calamity' it stresses the sorrowful human dimension rather than the disaster itself.

Use 災害 for large-scale disasters such as earthquakes and floods, 「災い」 or 災難 for misfortune that befalls a person, 惨禍 for catastrophic devastation, and 悲劇 when the event is above all a tragedy.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 災害さいがいcalamity
• 災いわざわいdisaster
• 災難さいなんcalamity
• 惨禍さんかcalamity
• 厄災やくさいcalamity
• 災厄さいやくcalamity
• 凶事きょうじcalamity
• 厄難やくなんcalamity
• 大厄たいやくcalamity
• 地異ちいnatural disaster
• 災禍さいかdisaster
• 禍かdisaster
• 変事へんじaccident
• 大難だいなんgreat disaster
• 凶変きょうへんcatastrophe
• 御難ごなんmisfortune
• 禍事まがごとmishap
• 災異さいいnatural disaster
• 曲事くせごとcrookedness
• 悲劇ひげきtragedy
• 悪事あくじmisfortune