Chinese word

旱灾

Pronunciation

Pinyinhàn zāi

Meaning

  • noundrought

Example

夏天连着几个月没有雨，造成了旱灾。xià tiān lián zhe jǐ gè yuè méi yǒu yǔ zào chéng le hàn zāi

It did not rain for several months in summer, causing a drought.

Illustration for 旱灾 (drought)

More examples

气象部门可以通过卫星监测发现旱灾迹象。qì xiàng bù mén ké yǐ tōng guò wèi xīng jiān cè fā xiàn hàn zāi jì xiàng

Weather agencies can detect signs of drought through satellite monitoring.

Core concept

An extended lack of rain spreads across a region and leaves farms, waterways, and local life under strain.

Common phrases

  • 预测旱灾yù cè hàn zāi

    predict drought

  • 监测旱灾jiān cè hàn zāi

    monitor drought

Similar words

干旱gān hàn: A long period when too little rain leaves land and plants dry.
旱季hàn jì: A region's season of very little rainfall.
缺水quē shuǐ: A lack of water for homes, farms, or other necessary uses.
旱害hàn hài: The harm caused to crops and living conditions by too little rain.

Definition in Chinese

旱灾是指某一地区因长期或广泛降水不足，造成农业减产、河湖水位下降或生态受损，从而影响居民生产生活的自然灾害。hàn zāi shì zhǐ mǒu yí dì qū yīn cháng qī huò guǎng fàn jiàng shuǐ bù zú zào chéng nóng yè jián chǎn hé hú shuǐ wèi xià jiàng huò shēng tài shòu sǔn cóng ér yíng xiǎng jū mín shēng chǎn shēng huó de zì rán zāi hài

Word origin

The compound joins 旱 (hàn, "dry from too little rain") and 灾 (zāi, "disaster"), so it names not just missing rain but the damage that follows.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, it signals a damaging event, so a brief period without rain is better described as dry weather unless clear harm has resulted.

Opposites

Related words

  • 旱区hàn qūdrought areanoun
  • 旱害hàn hàidrought damagenoun

Word lists with this word