The kanji 災 generally conveys the meaning of "disaster," "calamity," "misfortune," or "trouble." It suggests something that brings about negative consequences, loss, or suffering. It often relates to natural disasters, accidents, or other events that cause harm.

・On-yomi (音読み): サイ (sai) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): わざわい (wazawai)

⚫︎ 地震災害 Translation: Earthquake disaster ⚫︎ 火災 Translation: Fire disaster ⚫︎ 水災を避ける Translation: To avoid a flood disaster

The kanji 災 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound. The top part represents a roof or shelter. The bottom part originally depicted a fire. The combination suggests fire or something bad happening under a roof, thus conveying the meaning of "disaster" or "calamity."