干ばつ（かんばつ、kanbatsu）
- drought

The Japanese word 干ばつ干ばつ (kanbatsu) means drought. It refers to a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. This scarcity can negatively impact agriculture, water supplies, and the environment. 干ばつ can also describe the condition itself or the effects caused by it, such as crop failure or water restrictions.

⚫︎日本は、近年、激しい干ばつに見舞われています。 Translation: Japan has been hit by severe droughts in recent years. ⚫︎干ばつは作物の収穫量を減らしました。 Translation: The drought reduced crop yields. ⚫︎この地域は深刻な干ばつに苦しんでいます。 Translation: This region is suffering from a severe drought.

This word is used to discuss and describe periods of abnormally dry weather that causes water shortages. It's suitable for formal and informal contexts. You can use it when talking about weather, agriculture, environmental issues, or the impact of climate change.

⚫︎The word is typically written in kanji and hiragana: 干ばつ干ばつ. ⚫︎The kanji 干干 means "to dry" or "to drain". ⚫︎The hiragana ばつばつ is the okurigana, which doesn't have a distinct meaning in this context, but rather completes the pronunciation of the word. ⚫︎It is always written in hiragana as ばつばつ. There are no other ways to write this word.

⚫︎日照り(hideri) - sunshine, drought (can sometimes emphasize the lack of rain) ⚫︎旱魃(かんぱつ) - the same meaning as 干ばつ干ばつ, usually more formal. ⚫︎渇水(kassui) - water shortage.

⚫︎豪雨(gouu) - heavy rain, torrential rain ⚫︎洪水(kouzui) - flood ⚫︎多雨(tau) - heavy rain, much rain.

今年の夏は干ばつの影響で作物が育ちにくいです。 ・Translation: This summer, crops are difficult to grow due to the impact of the drought. ・Explanation: This sentence explains how the drought is affecting agriculture.

干ばつのため、水道の使用が制限されています。 ・Translation: Water usage is restricted because of the drought. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the measures that are taken to deal with the water shortage.

The word is a combination of the kanji 干干 which means "to dry," and the hiragana ばつばつ, which makes up the pronunciation.