Chinese word

阴暗

Pronunciation

Pinyinyīn àn

Meaning

  • adjectivedim

Example

屋里有点阴暗，开灯吧。wū lǐ yóu diǎn yīn àn kāi dēng ba

The room is a little dim, so turn on the light.

Illustration for 阴暗 (dim)

More examples

天色阴沉，街道显得很阴暗。tiān sè yīn chén jiē dào xiǎn de hěn yīn àn

The sky is overcast, and the street looks very gloomy.

Core concept

A lack of light casts heavy shadows over a place, mood, or impression.

Common phrases

  • 阴暗的房间yīn àn de fáng jiān

    dim room

  • 阴暗的角落yīn àn de jiǎo luò

    dim corner

  • 阴暗的天气yīn àn de tiān qì

    gloomy weather

Similar words

暗àn: Not bright because there is little light.
黑暗hēi àn: Extremely dark because almost no light is present.
昏暗hūn àn: Dim and blurred because the light is too weak for clear sight.
阴沉yīn chén: Having a dull, heavy, and gloomy look or mood.

Definition in Chinese

光线昏暗，有阴影，并常带有阴郁或令人不安的氛围。guāng xiàn hūn àn yǒu yīn yǐng bìng cháng dài yǒu yīn yù huò lìng rén bù ān de fēn wéi

Word origin

阴 (yīn, "shade") + 暗 (àn, "dark") joins the idea of being out of the light with the idea of low brightness, so the word covers both dark settings and troubled impressions.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this word can describe a room directly but becomes a strong negative judgment when it describes someone's character or motives.

Other meanings

  • gloomyadjective
  • sinisteradjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 阴暗面yīn àn miàndark sidenoun

Word lists with this word