shuǐzāi: 水灾 - Flood, Inundation, Water Disaster

• Keywords: shuizai, 水灾, Chinese flood, flood in China, water disaster, natural disaster in Chinese, learn Chinese, 洪水, 暴雨, Chinese culture, disaster relief
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 水灾 (shuǐzāi), which means “flood” or “water disaster.” This page breaks down the characters 水 (water) and 灾 (disaster) to reveal its literal meaning. Discover the deep cultural significance of floods in Chinese history, from the myth of Yu the Great to modern-day flood control efforts. With 10 practical example sentences, you'll learn how 水灾 (shuǐzāi) is used in news reports, official warnings, and everyday conversations about natural disasters in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shuǐ zāi
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: A disaster caused by an excess of water, such as a flood or inundation.
• In a Nutshell: 水灾 (shuǐzāi) is more than just “high water”; it specifically refers to the calamity or disaster that results from flooding. The character 灾 (zāi) emphasizes destruction, loss, and large-scale impact. Think of it not just as the event of a river overflowing, but as the entire resulting emergency situation that affects homes, lives, and infrastructure.

• 水 (shuǐ): This character is a pictograph of flowing water or a river. It is one of the most fundamental characters and radicals in Chinese, meaning “water.”
• 灾 (zāi): This character means “disaster,” “calamity,” or “catastrophe.” It is composed of a roof radical (宀) over the character for fire (火). The ancient image is of a fire destroying a home—a clear disaster.
• Combined Meaning: The logic is direct and powerful: 水 (water) + 灾 (disaster) = 水灾 (water disaster). This construction makes the meaning unmistakable and highlights the destructive potential of water.

The concept of 水灾 (shuǐzāi) holds a uniquely profound place in the Chinese psyche, far more so than “flood” does in many Western cultures. For millennia, Chinese civilization has been centered around its two major rivers, the Yellow River (黄河) and the Yangtze River (长江), which are both a source of life and a source of devastating floods. The very foundation of Chinese mythology and governance is tied to flood control. The legend of “Yu the Great Taming the Floods” (大禹治水, Dà Yǔ Zhì Shuǐ) is a cornerstone of Chinese culture. In the story, Yu succeeded where others failed, not by building dams to block the water, but by dredging channels to guide it to the sea. His success earned him the respect of the people and led to him founding the first dynasty, the Xia. This story establishes a deep-seated cultural value: a good ruler is one who can manage water resources and protect the people from 水灾. Historically, the failure to prevent or manage a major flood was seen as a sign that a dynasty had lost the “Mandate of Heaven” (天命, tiānmìng). This contrasts with Western concepts, where a flood is typically seen as a random natural event or an “act of God,” rather than a direct reflection on the legitimacy of the government. This historical weight is still present today, as major infrastructure projects like the Three Gorges Dam are framed as modern continuations of this ancient responsibility to control the water and prevent 水灾.

水灾 (shuǐzāi) is a formal and serious term used primarily in specific contexts.

• News and Media: This is the most common place you will encounter the term. It's used in headlines, news reports, and documentaries about flooding events, both domestic and international. The tone is serious and objective.
• Government and Official Warnings: Government agencies use 水灾 in public service announcements, disaster preparedness guidelines, and relief effort reports.
• Historical and Academic Context: When discussing Chinese history, geography, or environmental policy, 水灾 is the standard term.
• Everyday Conversation: While less common in casual chat, people will use it when discussing serious news events. For a minor issue like a burst pipe in a home, using 水灾 would be overly dramatic hyperbole. Instead, one would use words like 漏水 (lòushuǐ) (to leak water) or 淹了 (yān le) (is flooded/submerged).

The connotation is always negative and serious. There is no positive or neutral usage of 水灾.

• Example 1:
  • 每年夏天，这个地区都可能发生水灾。
  • Pinyin: Měinián xiàtiān, zhège dìqū dōu kěnéng fāshēng shuǐzāi.
  • English: Every summer, this region is prone to floods.
  • Analysis: A straightforward statement of fact. 发生 (fāshēng), meaning “to occur” or “to happen,” is commonly paired with 水灾.
• Example 2:
  • 这次水灾造成了巨大的经济损失。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì shuǐzāi zàochéngle jùdà de jīngjì sǔnshī.
  • English: This flood caused enormous economic losses.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the consequences of the disaster. 造成 (zàochéng), “to cause” or “to result in,” is often used to describe the negative outcomes of a 水灾.
• Example 3:
  • 政府正在组织救援队前往水灾灾区。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ zhèngzài zǔzhī jiùyuánduì qiánwǎng shuǐzāi zāiqū.
  • English: The government is organizing rescue teams to go to the flood-stricken area.
  • Analysis: Here, 水灾 is used as an adjective to describe the disaster area (灾区, zāiqū).
• Example 4:
  • 历史书上记载了很多关于黄河的水灾。
  • Pinyin: Lìshǐ shū shàng jìzǎile hěnduō guānyú Huáng Hé de shuǐzāi.
  • English: History books record many floods related to the Yellow River.
  • Analysis: This shows the term's usage in a historical context.
• Example 5:
  • 很多人的家园被这场水灾摧毁了。
  • Pinyin: Hěnduō rén de jiāyuán bèi zhè chǎng shuǐzāi cuīhuǐ le.
  • English: Many people's homes were destroyed by this flood.
  • Analysis: The measure word for a disaster event is 场 (chǎng). The passive voice particle 被 (bèi) is used to show what the homes were destroyed *by*.
• Example 6:
  • 气象局发布了水灾预警。
  • Pinyin: Qìxiàngjú fābùle shuǐzāi yùjǐng.
  • English: The meteorological bureau issued a flood warning.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates its use in official warnings. 预警 (yùjǐng) means “early warning.”
• Example 7:
  • 我们必须提高防范水灾的意识。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū tígāo fángfàn shuǐzāi de yìshí.
  • English: We must raise awareness of flood prevention.
  • Analysis: 防范 (fángfàn) means “to prevent” or “to be on guard against,” a common verb used with disasters.
• Example 8:
  • 由于持续的暴雨，水灾的风险正在增加。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú chíxù de bàoyǔ, shuǐzāi de fēngxiǎn zhèngzài zēngjiā.
  • English: Due to the continuous heavy rain, the risk of flooding is increasing.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows the cause-and-effect relationship between heavy rain (暴雨, bàoyǔ) and a potential 水灾.
• Example 9:
  • 水灾过后，重建工作非常艰巨。
  • Pinyin: Shuǐzāi guòhòu, chóngjiàn gōngzuò fēicháng jiānjù.
  • English: After the flood, the reconstruction work is very arduous.
  • Analysis: 过后 (guòhòu) means “afterwards,” showing the long-term impact of the event.
• Example 10:
  • 相比水灾，我更害怕旱灾。
  • Pinyin: Xiāngbǐ shuǐzāi, wǒ gèng hàipà hànzāi.
  • English: Compared to floods, I am more afraid of droughts.
  • Analysis: This sentence contrasts 水灾 with its opposite, 旱灾 (hànzāi), or drought.

• 水灾 (shuǐzāi) vs. 洪水 (hóngshuǐ): This is the most important distinction for learners.
  • 洪水 (hóngshuǐ): Refers to the floodwater itself—the massive, overflowing body of water. It's the physical phenomenon. Example: “我们看到洪水冲垮了桥梁。” (We saw the floodwaters destroy the bridge.)
  • 水灾 (shuǐzāi): Refers to the *disaster* caused by the floodwater. It encompasses the damage, loss, and social disruption. Example: “这次洪水导致了严重的水灾。” (This floodwater event led to a serious flood disaster.)
  • In short: 洪水 is the cause, 水灾 is the effect.
• Don't use it for small-scale water issues: A common mistake is to use 水灾 for a minor event. If your kitchen pipe bursts and floods the floor, it is not a 水灾.
  • Incorrect: 我的厨房有水灾！
  • Correct: 我的厨房漏水了 (Wǒ de chúfáng lòushuǐ le) - My kitchen is leaking.
  • Correct: 我的厨房被水淹了 (Wǒ de chúfáng bèi shuǐ yān le) - My kitchen was flooded/submerged.

• 洪水 (hóngshuǐ) - The floodwater itself, the physical phenomenon that causes a 水灾.
• 暴雨 (bàoyǔ) - Rainstorm or torrential downpour. Often the direct cause of a 水灾.
• 淹 (yān) - A verb meaning “to submerge,” “to inundate,” or “to drown.” Describes what happens during a flood.
• 天灾 (tiānzāi) - Natural disaster. 水灾 is a type of 天灾.
• 灾难 (zāinàn) - A general term for disaster or catastrophe.
• 救灾 (jiùzāi) - Disaster relief (literally “save from disaster”).
• 抗洪 (kànghóng) - To fight a flood (literally “resist the floodwaters”). Often seen in news headlines about relief efforts.
• 干旱 (gānhàn) or 旱灾 (hànzāi) - Drought, the opposite disaster of a 水灾.
• 大禹治水 (Dà Yǔ Zhì Shuǐ) - The foundational cultural myth, “Yu the Great Controls the Waters.”