災厄

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 災厄 is read as さいやく and is a grave calamity or disaster that befalls people or a community.
• Basic usage: Use 災厄を退ける for warding off a calamity and 災厄の記憶を残す for preserving the memory of a disaster.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Distinction between 災厄 and 災害
  • The headword is a literary, broad term for grave calamity or misfortune, while the comparison term commonly denotes concrete damage caused by a natural event or accident.