Japanese word

洪水

Pronunciation

Romajikōzui

Meaning

  • nounflood

Example

この町は洪水の被害を受けました。ko no machi wa kō zui no hi gai o u ke ma shi ta

This town suffered damage from a flood.

Illustration for 洪水 (flood)

More examples

大雨の後、洪水で道路が通れなくなりました。ō ame no ato kō zui de dō ro ga tō re na ku na ri ma shi ta

After the heavy rain, the flood made the roads impassable.

Core concept

Describes a large overflow of water that leaves normally usable land under water.

Common phrases

  • 洪水の被害kō zui no hi gai

    flood damage

  • 洪水が発生するkō zui ga has sei su ru

    a flood occurs

  • 洪水に見舞われるkō zui ni mi ma wa re ru

    be hit by a flood

Similar words

氾濫hanran: Water flows beyond the usual limits of a river, lake, or other waterway.
冠水kansui: Water covers roads, fields, or other land surfaces.
浸水shinsui: Water enters or covers land, buildings, or other normally dry places.
出水shussui: Water rises and flows out of a river or other channel.

Definition in Japanese

河川や海の水があふれ、家や土地を水で覆う災害。ka sen ya umi no mizu ga a fu re ie ya to chi o mizu de ō u sai gai

Word origin

The word 洪水 (kōzui) uses the kanji 洪 (kō, "flood") with 水 (sui, "water"), so its structure directly reflects the idea of a flood.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese news, 洪水 (kōzui) covers flooding from overflowing rivers as well as inundation caused by intense rain.

Word lists with this word