97769
As the title says, I'm not sure of the difference between 災難 and 災い. Both seem
to be mainly used for "personal" disasters (as opposed to 災害). There is a [GOO
Thesaurus
page](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/thsrs/5330/meaning/m1u/%E7%81%BD%E5%AE%B3/),
but it doesn't really help me here. It does indicate 犬にかまれるとはとんだ災難だ is natural
but にかまれるとはとんだ災いだ is odd. Is there a reason for this?

Another more minor question: while the thesaurus indicates only 難 is used for
Xの constructions for defining a type of disaster, I see many example sentences
of the form 難を避けた, 難を免れた, and so on. Is "難を(escape-like word)" another
specific pattern that is exclusive to 難? And are the Xの難 and 難をescape patterns
the only way 難 is used?
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2022-12-23T13:45:30.933
97761
2022-12-24T00:21:36.420
2022-12-23T15:43:40.077
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question
word-choice nuances
Nuances between 災難 and 災い
To some extent, they mean the same 'bad event', but

  * 災い has religious/supernatural tone; it is more abstract and affects 'big' entities.
  * 災難 is more concrete, personal bad luck.

Being bitten by a dog is too personal to be called 災い. And the influence of an
earthquake is too big for 地震 to be called 災難.

Other than that, the difference is a matter of usage and collocation.
災難/災いに見舞われる (affected by something bad) are both fine; In the following
(randomly picked in BCCWJ), 災難 cannot be used.

  * 助けを求めてエジプトに下り、馬に依り頼む者は災いだ _Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses_ (usage)
  * 水辺で身体を清め、災いを祓う (religious)
  * 大英帝国にとって災いの前兆であったのだ (big)
  * パンドラの箱を開けてしまったが為に災いがこの世に飛び出す (abstract)
  * 災い転じて福となす (fixed phrase)

災いだ is the opposite to _Blessed are..._ ; Also it is possible to say 災い+する to
mean _affect negatively_ while 災難する is ungrammatical.

* * *

For 難, I think it is used almost exclusively in combinations with verbs given
in [the following](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E9%9B%A3/#jn-165581) (or
verbs meaning very similar):

> １ 災い。災難。「あやうく― **を逃れる** 」  
>  ２ むずかしいこと。むずかしさ。困難。「― **を避け** 、易 (やす) きに就く」  
>  ３ 欠点。「少々―のある品」「強いて― **をいえ** ばやや甘さが足りない」  
>  ４ 非難すべき点。難点。「うかつだったとの― **を免か** れない」  
>
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2022-12-24T00:21:36.420
97769
2022-12-24T00:21:36.420
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answer