Chinese word

祸害

Pronunciation

Pinyinhuò hài

Meaning

  • noundisaster

Example

这个谣言成了村里的祸害。zhè ge yáo yán chéng le cūn lǐ de huò hài

This rumor became a disaster for the village.

Illustration for 祸害 (disaster)

More examples

非法排放污水给生态带来长期的祸害。fēi fǎ pái fàng wū shuǐ gěi shēng tài dài lái cháng qī de huò hài

Illegal wastewater discharge causes long-term harm to the ecosystem.

Core concept

A person, action, or factor viewed as a concentrated source of serious damage and trouble.

Common phrases

  • 造成祸害zào chéng huò hài

    cause disaster

  • 防止祸害fáng zhǐ huò hài

    prevent disaster

  • 祸害深重huò hài shēn zhòng

    severe disaster

Similar words

危害wēi hài: Harm or danger caused to people or things.
损害sǔn hài: Loss or damage affecting rights, property, or the body.
祸根huò gēn: An underlying cause that leads to later serious problems or disasters.

Definition in Chinese

给人们带来灾难性后果或严重不良影响的事物、行为或因素，通常带有贬义。gěi rén men dài lái zāi nàn xìng hòu guǒ huò yán zhòng bù liáng yíng xiǎng de shì wù xíng wéi huò yīn sù tōng cháng dài yǒu biǎn yì

Word origin

祸 (huò, "disaster") + 害 (hài, "harm") forms a label for a person, thing, or cause that brings serious damage.

Usage tips

  • English learners may expect this noun to identify only a difficult person, but Chinese also applies it to nonhuman causes, so the surrounding context shows what is causing the trouble.

Other meanings

  • harmnoun
  • troublemakernoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 祸根huò gēnroot of disasternoun
  • 祸患huò huàncalamitynoun

Word lists with this word