Learn the Japanese vocabulary for natural disasters
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| 雪崩 (nadare) |
| 砂嵐 (suna'arashi) |
| 火事 (kaji) |
| What do these words mean? Stick around. |
| In this quick lesson, you’ll learn Japanese vocabulary for natural disasters. |
| Before we start, did you know that 防災 (bōsai) is an important word when we talk about natural disasters in Japan? Do you know what it means? |
| Keep watching for the answer at the end. |
| 津波 (tsunami) |
| "tsunami" |
| [SLOW] 津波 (tsunami) |
| 津波 (tsunami) |
| Because Japan has many natural disasters, especially earthquakes and tsunamis, you’ll often see signs showing elevation above sea level. If you feel an earthquake, go to higher ground immediately. |
| Oscar and Steve chat about a recent natural disaster. |
| Oscar: あれは悲劇でした。先週、津波が町を襲いました。 (Are wa higeki deshita. Senshū, tsunami ga machi o osoimashita.) |
| Steve: それはひどいです。誰も怪我をしていなければいいのですが。 (Sore wa hidoi desu. Dare mo kega o shite inakereba ii no desu ga.) |
| 雪崩 (nadare) |
| "avalanche" |
| [SLOW] 雪崩 (nadare) |
| 雪崩 (nadare) |
| The kanji come from 雪 (snow) and 崩れる (to collapse). Before an avalanche occurs, you may notice cracks in the snow, wrinkled snow surfaces, or snowballs rolling down a slope. |
| If you see these signs, stay away ! |
| Ken shares a news story with Yuya at the gym. |
| Ken: ニュースを聞きましたか。雪崩がスキーリゾートを破壊したそうです。 (Nyūsu o kikimashita ka. Nadare ga sukī rizōto o hakai shita sō desu.) |
| Yuya: それは大変です。みんな無事だといいのですが。 (Sore wa taihen desu. Minna buji da to ii no desu ga.) |
| 砂嵐 (suna'arashi) |
| "sandstorm" |
| [SLOW] 砂嵐 (suna'arashi) |
| 砂嵐 (suna'arashi) |
| 砂 = sand, 嵐 = storm. |
| Emily talks with Eri while preparing for a trip. |
| Emily: 気を付けないといけません。この辺りでは砂嵐が起こります。 (Ki o tsukenai to ikemasen. Kono atari de wa suna'arashi ga okorimasu.) |
| Eri: 必要な物をきちんと持っていってくださいね。 (Hitsuyō na mono o kichinto motte itte kudasai ne.) |
| 火事 (kaji) |
| "fire" |
| [SLOW] 火事 (kaji) |
| 火事 (kaji) |
| If you see a fire, call 119. |
| 119 is the emergency number for the fire department in Japan. |
| Oscar notices a small fire starting when cooking with Tom. |
| Oscar: あ！オーブンに火がついています！ (A! Ōbun ni hi ga tsuite imasu!) |
| Tom: 消火器で火事を消してください！ (Shōkaki de kaji o keshite kudasai!) |
| 地震 (jishin) |
| "earthquake" |
| [SLOW] 地震 (jishin) |
| 地震 (jishin) |
| People often confuse magnitude (マグニチュード) and Shindo (震度). |
| Magnitude is the size of the earthquake itself. |
| 震度 is how strong the shaking feels at a place. |
| Steve and Aya stand outside of a damaged building after an earthquake. |
| Steve: 強い地震でしたね。 (Tsuyoi jishin deshita ne.) |
| Aya: はい、建物全体が壊れそうでした。 (Hai, tatemono zentai ga kowaresō deshita.) |
| 洪水 (kōzui) |
| "flood" |
| [SLOW] 洪水 (kōzui) |
| 洪水 (kōzui) |
| 浸水（しんすい） |
| (water entering buildings or roads) |
| 冠水（かんすい） |
| (roads covered with water) |
| Both are caused by floods (洪水). |
| Kaname and Tom watch news about recent heavy rains. |
| Kaname: 川のこと、聞きましたか。 (Kawa no koto, kikimashita ka.) |
| Tom: はい、洪水でたくさんの家が壊れました。 (Hai, kōzui de takusan no ie ga kowaremashita.) |
| 台風 (taifū) |
| "typhoon" |
| [SLOW] 台風 (taifū) |
| 台風 (taifū) |
| There’s an expression called 台風一過. |
| It refers to the clear blue sky after a typhoon passes. |
| Yoko and Eri chat about the bad weather. |
| Yoko: 嵐の警報を聞きましたか。 (Arashi no keihō o kikimashita ka.) |
| Eri: はい、今夜、台風が来ます。準備をした方がいいですね。 (Hai, kon'ya, taifū ga kimasu. Junbi o shita hō ga ii desu ne.) |
| ハリケーン (harikēn) |
| "hurricane" |
| [SLOW] ハリケーン (harikēn) |
| ハリケーン (harikēn) |
| Did you know? Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones are the same storm. The name changes by location. |
| Susan chats on the phone with Emily, who is on vacation in Florida. |
| Susan: 天気予報を見ていますか。 (Tenki yohō o mite imasu ka.) |
| Emily: はい、フロリダにハリケーンが来ます。今、備えをしています。 (Hai, Furorida ni harikēn ga kimasu. Ima, sonae o shite imasu.) |
| 竜巻 (tatsumaki) |
| "tornado" |
| [SLOW] 竜巻 (tatsumaki) |
| 竜巻 (tatsumaki) |
| The first kanji literally means “dragon,” and the second kanji means “to twist” or “to coil.” |
| The word comes from the image of a dragon spiraling through the sky. |
| Tom and Yuya chat at a local community center before a big storm. |
| Tom: 備えを急がないといけません。 (Sonae o isoganai to ikemasen.) |
| Yuya: そうですね。今夜、竜巻が町に来ます。 (Sō desu ne. Kon'ya, tatsumaki ga machi ni kimasu.) |
| 日照り (hideri) |
| "drought" |
| [SLOW] 日照り (hideri) |
| 日照り (hideri) |
| Drought can be translated as 干ばつ too. 日照り describes sunny, dry weather. 干ばつ describes a serious drought with damage. |
| Jack and Aya talk about recent price hikes while having lunch. |
| Jack: 米の値段はどうしてこんなに上がったんですか。 (Kome no nedan wa dōshite konna ni agatta n desu ka.) |
| Aya: 日照りがあったので、米は今、高いです。 (Hideri ga atta node, kome wa ima, takai desu.) |
| Let's review. |
| You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in Japanese. |
| Ready? |
| Do you remember how to say "tsunami"? |
| 津波 (tsunami) |
| 津波 (tsunami) |
| And how to say "avalanche"? |
| 雪崩 (nadare) |
| 雪崩 (nadare) |
| How about "sandstorm"? |
| 砂嵐 (suna'arashi) |
| 砂嵐 (suna'arashi) |
| Do you remember how to say "fire"? |
| 火事 (kaji) |
| 火事 (kaji) |
| And how to say "earthquake"? |
| 地震 (jishin) |
| 地震 (jishin) |
| Let's try "flood"! |
| 洪水 (kōzui) |
| 洪水 (kōzui) |
| What about "typhoon"? |
| 台風 (taifū) |
| 台風 (taifū) |
| Now, let's see if you remember how to say "hurricane"! |
| ハリケーン (harikēn) |
| ハリケーン (harikēn) |
| Another one! What about "tornado"? |
| 竜巻 (tatsumaki) |
| 竜巻 (tatsumaki) |
| And finally, do you remember how to say "drought"? |
| 日照り (hideri) |
| 日照り (hideri) |
| Did you know that 防災 (bōsai) is an important word when we talk about natural disasters in Japan? Do you know what it means? |
| 防災 (bōsai) means "disaster prevention." It's about how Japan gets ready and tries to reduce damage from natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. People in Japan practice drills often and keep emergency kits ready. |
| Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time! |
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