Spanish word

tsunami

Pronunciation

IPA/tsuˈnami/

Meaning

  • masculine nountsunami

Example

¡Cuidado, hay un tsunami!

Watch out, there's a tsunami!

Illustration for tsunami (tsunami)

More examples

Hicimos un simulacro de tsunami para practicar la evacuación.

We held a tsunami evacuation drill to practice evacuating.

Core concept

Massive long-period sea wave caused by sudden seafloor displacement.

Common phrases

  • simulacro de tsunami

    tsunami evacuation drill

  • medidas ante tsunami

    tsunami preparedness measures

Similar words

maremoto: Large sea wave produced by an undersea earthquake or submarine landslide.
ola: Ordinary surface wave on the sea or a river, formed by wind or local disturbances.
marea: Regular rise and fall of sea level caused by the moon and sun's gravity.
marejada: Rough sea state with higher waves produced by wind or distant swells.

Definition in Spanish

Onda o conjunto de olas muy grandes originadas por el desplazamiento súbito del agua en el océano, normalmente por terremotos, erupciones o deslizamientos, que puede causar inundaciones en la costa.

Word origin

The word comes from Japanese tsunami, literally 'harbor wave', and enters Spanish as a loanword through scientific and news reporting about seismic sea waves.

Usage tips

  • Same spelling as English makes the form familiar, but Spanish treats it as masculine (el tsunami) and uses it for seismic sea waves rather than ordinary surf or wind waves.

Word lists with this word