Chinese word

暗淡

Pronunciation

Pinyinàn dàn

Meaning

  • adjectivedim

Example

屋子里的光线有点暗淡。wū zi lǐ de guāng xiàn yóu diǎn àn dàn

The light in the room is a little dim.

Illustration for 暗淡 (dim)

More examples

他的心情有点暗淡，不太想说话。tā de xīn qíng yóu diǎn àn dàn bú tài xiǎng shuō huà

His mood is a little gloomy, and he does not really want to talk.

Core concept

Something loses its brightness and vivid force, whether it is a visible scene or a hopeful outlook.

Common phrases

  • 房间暗淡fáng jiān àn dàn

    dim room

  • 心情暗淡xīn qíng àn dàn

    gloomy mood

  • 灯光暗淡dēng guāng àn dàn

    dim light

Similar words

黯淡àn dàn: Dull and weakened in color or light, with little vividness left.
昏暗hūn àn: Dark because there is too little light to see places or objects well.
阴沉yīn chén: Gloomy and oppressive in appearance, especially in the sky or a person's expression.

Definition in Chinese

亮度或色彩很低，看上去黯然无光，也可指事物的希望、前景或热情不强。liàng dù huò sè cǎi hěn dī kàn shàng qù àn rán wú guāng yě kě zhǐ shì wù de xī wàng qián jǐng huò rè qíng bù qiáng

Word origin

暗 (àn, "dark") + 淡 (dàn, "faint") joins darkness with a pale, weakened quality, which naturally extends to situations lacking promise or enthusiasm.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this word can make a future or plan sound discouraging, so it is stronger and more negative than a simple statement that energy is low.

Other meanings

  • dulladjective
  • bleakadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word