JLPT · Level 158
15 words
Japanese word
氾濫
Pronunciation
Romajihanran
Meaning
- nounflood
Example
大雨で川が氾濫しました。ō ame de kawa ga han ran shi ma shi ta
The river flooded because of the heavy rain.
More examples
雨が続くと、低い土地で氾濫が起こりやすくなります。ame ga tsuzu ku to hiku i to chi de han ran ga o ko ri ya su ku na ri ma su
When the rain continues, flooding is more likely to occur in low-lying areas.
Core concept
Describes something overflowing its normal limits and spreading beyond control, from water leaving a river to things appearing in excessive numbers.
Common phrases
河川の氾濫ka sen no han ran
river flooding
氾濫を防ぐhan ran o fuse gu
prevent flooding
氾濫が起こるhan ran ga o ko ru
flooding occurs
Similar words
洪水kōzui: A large amount of water that covers normally dry land, often after heavy rain or a storm.
大水ōmizu: A large flow or amount of water that causes flooding, often in a river or lowland area.
Definition in Japanese
大雨などで川や水路の水があふれ出ること。また、物事が制御できないほど広がること。ō ame na do de kawa ya sui ro no mizu ga a fu re de ru ko to ma ta mono goto ga sei gyo de ki na i ho do hiro ga ru ko to
Word origin
The Sino-Japanese word combines 氾 (han, "overflow and spread widely") and 濫 (ran, "overflow"), reinforcing the sense of excess spilling beyond its limits.
Usage tips
- In English, flood also describes an overwhelming amount of online posts or messages, extending the physical image to information that fills a space.
Other meanings
- overflownoun
- proliferationnoun
Related words
- 氾濫するhanransurufloodverb