die Katastrophe
Translation
catastrophe, disaster
Examples
Das Erdbeben war eine Katastrophe.
The earthquake was a catastrophe.
Die Party war eine totale Katastrophe.
The party was a total disaster.
Grammar Patterns
to be a ((catastrophe)) eine ((Katastrophe)) sein The flood was a national catastrophe.
to lead to a ((catastrophe)) zu einer ((Katastrophe)) führen The mistake led to a financial catastrophe.
Similar Words
Synonyms: Desaster, Unglück; Antonyms: Erfolg (success), Glück (luck)
Etymology
From Greek 'katastrophē' (an overturning), from 'kata-' (down) and 'strephein' (to turn). It's an international word.
Memory Tips
This word is a direct cognate of the English 'catastrophe', making it very easy to remember. The pronunciation is also very similar.