禍 means “calamity, misfortune”

か · ka

Also: evil, curse

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): わざわい
On'yomi (Chinese reading): カ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 13 strokes

The story

An altar (礻) beside 咼, a skull-like shape over a mouth: picture an offering gone horribly wrong. 禍 is calamity: Japan named the pandemic years コロナ禍, and 口は禍の門, the mouth is the gate of misfortune, warns against careless words.

Used in コロナ禍 (koronaka, the pandemic years), 戦禍 (senka, ravages of war), and 禍根 (kakon, root of future trouble)

禍 means “calamity, misfortune”

The story

More from Rites & Omens