earthquake
[noun]
[de aard-be-ving, de aard-be-ving-en]

"Aardbeving" is composed of "aard" – from "aarde" – and "beving", which respectively translate to "earth" and "tremor/shake".

Examples:
– "Japan is vanmorgen getroffen door een zware aardbeving." 
("Japan has been struck by a major earthquake this morning.")

– "De aardbeving heeft een grote tsunami veroorzaakt, de situatie is nu zeer ernstig." 
("The earthquake has caused a big tsunami, the situation is very serious now.")

– "Tijdens de aardbeving in Christchurch zijn er meer dan honderd slachtoffers gevallen…" – "Verschrikkelijk!" 
("During the earthquake in Christchurch more than a hundred lives were lost." Lit.: "…casualties have fallen.")

Expressions:
– "Ik sta op mijn benen te trillen": my legs are shaking. Lit.: "I'm shaking on my legs".
– "Beven van (de) angst": to tremble with fear.

Example:
– "De kinderen beefden van angst toen de bullebak tegen hen schreeuwde."
("The children trembled with fear when the bully cried out against them.")

Related words:
– Aarde: earth, dirt, ground [noun] [de aarde, de aardes].
– Beven: to tremor, to tremble, to shake [verb] [beven, beefde, h. gebeefd].
– Trillen: to tremor, to tremble, to shake [verb] [trillen, trilde, h. getrild].
– Trilling: tremor, vibration [noun] [de trilling, de trillingen].

Example:
– "Voel je die trillingen in de tafel? Het zal toch geen aardbeving zijn?"
("Do you feel those vibrations in the table? That's not an earthquake, is it?")

– Schaal van Richter: Richter scale.