Chinese word

昏暗

Pronunciation

Pinyinhūn àn

Meaning

  • adjectivedim

Example

房间有点昏暗，需要开灯。fáng jiān yóu diǎn hūn àn xū yào kāi dēng

The room is a little dim, so the light needs to be turned on.

Illustration for 昏暗 (dim)

More examples

夜里小巷很昏暗，走路要小心。yè lǐ xiǎo xiàng hěn hūn àn zǒu lù yào xiǎo xīn

At night, the alley is very dim, so be careful when walking.

Core concept

Light is present but weak, making details hard to see and giving the surrounding scene a heavy tone.

Common phrases

  • 角落昏暗jiǎo luò hūn àn

    dim corner

  • 走廊昏暗zǒu láng hūn àn

    dim hallway

Similar words

阴暗yīn àn: A poorly lit place with many shadows feels dark and gloomy.
暗淡àn dàn: Light or color that is faint and unclear has little brightness.
阴沉yīn chén: Overcast weather or a gloomy expression can create a heavy, downcast feeling.

Definition in Chinese

光线不足且色调晦暗，既表示看不清，也常用来形容氛围的阴郁和沉闷。guāng xiàn bù zú qiě sè diào huì àn jì biǎo shì kàn bù qīng yě cháng yòng lái xíng róng fēn wéi de yīn yù hé chén mèn

Word origin

昏 (hūn, "dusky") + 暗 (àn, "dark") combine two overlapping ideas of reduced light, which extends the word from visual conditions to the mood of a scene.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech, 昏暗 (hūnàn, "dim and gloomy") fits a room, hallway, or evening scene and sounds stronger than a neutral report that a place is not very bright.

Other meanings

  • darkadjective
  • gloomyadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word