厄

A phono-semantic compound composed of:

厂 (cliff; steep slope) — semantic component

㔾 (to bend; to be constrained) — phonetic component

The character originally conveys the idea of being constrained, trapped, or cornered beneath a cliff, symbolizing a situation with no easy escape. From this concrete image arose the abstract meaning of misfortune, calamity, or dire adversity.

The sense is not merely bad luck, but inescapable hardship or crisis.

액운 (厄運) — bad luck; ill fortune

횡액 (橫厄) — sudden misfortune

액년 (厄年) — inauspicious year (see below)

국액 (國厄) — national calamity

厄 is stronger and more formal than 災 (disaster) or 禍 (misfortune), and often implies fate-like inevitability.

Frequently appears in Buddhist, Confucian, and historical texts, where it reflects karmic suffering or trials.

In East Asian culture, especially in Japan, 厄年 (unlucky years) refers to specific ages believed to be prone to misfortune. During these years, people often perform ritual purification or prayers to avert 厄.

This concept also appears in Chinese and Korean traditions, particularly within Buddhist and folk belief systems.

In classical literature, 厄 often describes trials that test moral character.

窮而不厄 — “Impoverished, yet not destroyed by adversity.”

In Buddhist texts, 厄 frequently appears in expressions related to suffering caused by karma, such as:

八難三厄 — “eight difficulties and three calamities”

Related characters:

災 — disaster; natural calamity

禍 — misfortune caused by human action

難 — hardship; difficulty

危 — danger; peril

困 — distress; entrapment