Japanese meaning of 天変地異
Reading:
てんぺんちい (tenpen chii)
English Translation:
Natural calamities; extraordinary natural phenomena
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
Extraordinary natural calamities beyond human control (quakes, eruptions, great storms). Stronger and broader than ordinary “bad weather.”
Cultural Context:
Used in official notices, literature, and historical chronicles to mark epochal disruptions.
地震・噴火・大規模暴風雨など、人智を超えた異常自然現象。通常の天候不順より強い語感。
官報・文学・史書で、時代を画する災厄を示す定型句として用いられる。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• Noun phrase often used alone or with “が起こる” to describe large-scale natural disasters (“天変地異が相次ぐ”).
• Common in news and formal writing.
Trap for English Speakers
May be confused with only “earthquakes,” but it covers all extraordinary natural events.
Example
Basic Example
天変地異への備えが必要だ。
Preparation for natural disasters is essential.
Applied Example
天変地異のような嵐が試合会場を直撃した。
A cataclysmic storm, like a natural disaster, struck the match venue.