How to say "drowning" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 水難すいなんnounCovers drowning as one kind of water accident, alongside floods and shipwrecks; a broad, common term for such mishaps, seen in news reports and safety warnings, rather than for the act of drowning itself.
- 溺水できすいnounThe specific word for drowning itself — the act or incident of a person drowning, rather than water accidents in general; less common, and typical of news reports of drowning accidents.
- 水禍すいかnounA less common word: chiefly a flood disaster, with drowning only a secondary sense; seldom what you want for a person drowning — reach for it when the disaster in question is flooding.
For the act or incident of drowning itself, 溺水 is the specific choice; 水難 broadly covers water accidents such as drownings, floods and shipwrecks; 水禍 chiefly means flood disaster, with drowning only a secondary sense.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
