Details
Stroke Order
Component Breakdown
spirit + 咼
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of altar and phonetic. Disaster from gods.
Symbolism
Calamity, disaster, misfortune. Represents unfortunate events.
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
吉凶禍福
きっきょうかふく
good and bad fortune, and weal and woe; good and bad fortune, and weal and woe
禍福得喪
かふくとくそう
calamity, good fortune, success and failure; calamity, good fortune, success and failure
幸災楽禍
こうさいらくか
delighting in the misfortune of others; delighting in the misfortune of others
Proverbs & Idioms
禍福は糾える縄の如し
かふくはあざなえるなわのごとし
Fortune and misfortune are like a twisted rope
Good and bad times alternate
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 禍 mean in Japanese?
禍 means calamity, misfortune, evil, curse.
How do you read 禍?
On'yomi: カ (KA). Kun'yomi: わざわい (wazawai).
How many strokes does 禍 have?
禍 has 13 strokes. Its radical is 示 (show).
Is 禍 a good kanji for a tattoo?
Yes. 禍 (calamity, misfortune, evil, curse) has a clear positive meaning and no embarrassing alternate readings, making it a solid tattoo choice.
Explore by meaning:kanji for calamity · kanji for misfortune · kanji for evil · kanji for curse