Definition

Noun: - Disaster, calamity, catastrophe: A severe misfortune or great trouble that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly, often causing widespread damage, distress, or loss.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cả gia đình họ đã may mắn thoát khỏi tai ách đó. (Their whole family was lucky to escape that disaster.)
  • Trận động đất là một tai ách đối với người dân vùng này. (The earthquake was a calamity for the people in this region.)
  • Anh ấy đã trải qua nhiều tai ách trong cuộc đời. (He has endured many misfortunes in his life.)

Advanced Usage

• "gặp phải tai ách": to encounter/meet with disaster.
  • Không ai muốn gặp phải tai ách như vậy. (No one wants to encounter such a disaster.)
• "vượt qua tai ách": to overcome a calamity.
  • Sự đoàn kết giúp họ vượt qua tai ách. (Unity helped them overcome the calamity.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tai họa (noun): Disaster, catastrophe. (Often used interchangeably with "tai ách," but "tai ách" can imply a slightly more severe or sudden blow of fate.)
• Tai ương (noun): Affliction, scourge. (Refers to a cause of great suffering or misfortune.)
• Hoạn nạn (noun): Tribulation, adversity. (Emphasizes a state of great trouble or suffering.)

Synonyms

• Thảm họa: Catastrophe.
• Bất hạnh: Misfortune.
• Khốn khó: Hardship, distress.

Related Idioms

• "Tai bay vạ gió" / "Họa vô đơn chí": These idioms convey a similar sense of misfortunes never coming singly or troubles arriving unexpectedly.
  • Cứ tưởng mọi chuyện đã ổn, ai ngờ tai bay vạ gió. (I thought everything was fine, who knew disaster would strike out of the blue.)

noun

1. disaster