弊害（へいがい、heigaい）
- harm

The Japanese word 弊害 (へいがい) refers to "detrimental effects," "harmful consequences," "negative side effects," or "drawbacks." It describes the negative results or adverse impacts that something can cause. The word implies that something is causing problems or difficulties. The word 弊害弊害 is often used in formal or more serious contexts, such as discussing problems in society, business, or the environment.

⚫︎インターネットの普及は、情報のアクセスの容易さという利点がある一方で、フェイクニュースの拡散という弊害もある。 Translation: The spread of the internet has the advantage of easy access to information, but it also has the drawback of the spread of fake news. ⚫︎経済成長は重要だが、環境汚染という弊害も引き起こす可能性がある。 Translation: Economic growth is important, but it can also cause the detrimental effect of environmental pollution. ⚫︎その薬は効果がある一方で、副作用という弊害もある。 Translation: That medicine is effective, but it also has the adverse side effect.

You should use 弊害 when you want to emphasize the negative outcomes or disadvantages associated with a particular action, policy, situation, or thing. It's suitable for situations where you want to highlight problems and their impact. It is a more formal word compared to alternatives and is appropriate for situations where precision and a serious tone are needed. You will often encounter it in news articles, academic papers, and official reports. It's important to remember that the word is about the *negative* impact, so it's not used when discussing positive results.

弊害 is written using the kanji 弊 (hei), meaning "evil" or "disadvantage," and 害 (gai), meaning "harm" or "damage." The word is pronounced へいがい in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word or variations in okurigana.

⚫︎悪影響(あくえいきょう) – "bad influence," "adverse effects" ⚫︎副作用(ふくさよう) – "side effects" (often used for medical contexts) ⚫︎デメリット – "demerit," "disadvantage" (loanword) ⚫︎害(がい) – "harm," "damage" ⚫︎不利益(ふりえき) – "disadvantage," "loss" ⚫︎問題点(もんだいてん) – "problem point"

⚫︎利点(りてん) – "advantage," "merit" ⚫︎メリット – "merit" (loanword) ⚫︎効果(こうか) – "effect," "result" ⚫︎利益(りえき) – "profit," "benefit"

グローバル化は、経済成長を促進する一方で、格差拡大という弊害も生じさせている。 ・Translation: While globalization promotes economic growth, it also causes the detrimental effect of widening inequality. ・Explanation: This sentence discusses a negative consequence (widening inequality) caused by the process of globalization.

この政策は、多くの人に恩恵をもたらす一方で、一部の人々には負担という弊害をもたらす可能性がある。 ・Translation: While this policy benefits many people, it may cause a disadvantage in the form of a burden to some. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a policy and the potential for a negative consequence, specifically a burden, on some individuals.

The word 弊害 comes directly from its constituent kanji. 弊 (hei) carries the meaning of "deficiency," "defect," or "evil," while 害 (gai) means "harm," "damage," or "injury." Together, they combine to describe a disadvantageous or harmful effect.