悲惨

ひさん

tragedy, disaster

JLPT N1

Character Breakdown

Understanding 悲惨 (bēi cǎn)

The adjective 悲惨 describes situations or experiences that are extremely sad, miserable, or tragic. It often refers to severe misfortune or suffering, such as disasters, personal hardships, or social problems.

Usage and Nuance

When you use 悲惨, you emphasize the depth of sorrow and hardship involved. It is commonly used in news reports, literature, and everyday speech to describe tragic events or conditions.

Common Collocations

  • 悲惨遭遇 (bēicǎn de zāoyù): miserable experience, often used to describe someone's unfortunate life events.
  • 悲惨命运 (bēicǎn de mìngyùn): miserable fate, highlighting a tragic destiny.
  • 悲惨结局 (bēicǎn de jiéjú): tragic ending, used in stories or real-life events.

Register and Tone

悲惨 is neutral but serious in tone. It is appropriate in formal and informal contexts when describing genuinely tragic or pitiful situations.

Avoiding Confusion

Do not confuse 悲惨 with (bēishāng), which means 'sad' but is more about emotional sadness rather than the overall miserable condition. 悲惨 focuses more on the harshness and severity of the situation.

Example Sentences

That earthquake caused many miserable casualties.

His childhood experience was very miserable, but he still lives strongly.

Seeing those homeless people really makes one feel miserable.