惨
惨·wretched, disaster, cruelty
- On-yomi
- さんざん
- Kun-yomi
- みじ.めいた.むむご.い
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悲惨 | ひさん | tragic, wretched |
| 惨め | みじめ | miserable |
| 惨事 | さんじ | disaster, horrific accident |
| 惨敗 | ざんぱい | crushing defeat |
Example sentences
戦争の悲惨な現実を知った。
せんそうのひさんなげんじつをしった。
I learned the tragic reality of war.
試合に惨敗して惨めな気持ちになった。
しあいにざんぱいしてみじめなきもちになった。
We lost badly and I felt wretched.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- The on-reading voices in some words: 惨敗 is ざんぱい but 惨事 is さんじ.
- 惨め is みじめ — a kun reading, not ざんめ.
Memory aid
Picture it
The heart radical 忄 beside 参: the heart standing at the scene of something too cruel to look at.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5
What does the kanji 惨 mean?