灾害 zāihài calamity
calamity; disaster
How to remember 灾害: 灾 disaster + 害 injure = calamity.
Characters
How it is used
- A (natural) disaster/calamity as a category - 自然灾害 (zìrán zāihài) natural disaster, 气象灾害 (qìxiàng zāihài) meteorological disasters.
- Emphasizes disaster as harm/damage inflicted (灾 disaster + 害 harm); often the type/category of calamity.
- Contrast 灾难 (zāinàn), which stresses the tragic suffering/catastrophe; 灾害 is more the harmful event/type.