Chinese word

黑暗

Pronunciation

Pinyinhēi àn

Meaning

  • adjectivedark

Example

这个房间很黑暗。zhè ge fáng jiān hěn hēi àn

This room is very dark.

Illustration for 黑暗 (dark)

More examples

走进洞里，四周变得非常黑暗。zǒu jìn dòng lǐ sì zhōu biàn de fēi cháng hēi àn

After entering the cave, the surroundings became very dark.

Core concept

The absence of light that hides clear outlines and casts a shadow over the surrounding mood.

Common phrases

  • 黑暗的环境hēi àn de huán jìng

    dark surroundings

Similar words

暗àn: Having too little light for clear sight.
漆黑qī hēi: Almost completely without light, so the surroundings look pitch-black.
昏暗hūn àn: Dimly lit, with weak light that makes shapes hard to see clearly.
阴暗yīn àn: Dim and gloomy, with little light and a heavy atmosphere.

Definition in Chinese

没有或很少光线，难以看清东西的状态或景象，也可比喻心情或气氛阴沉。méi yǒu huò hén shǎo guāng xiàn nán yǐ kàn qīng dōng xī de zhuàng tài huò jǐng xiàng yě kě bǐ yù xīn qíng huò qì fēn yīn chén

Word origin

黑 (hēi, "black") + 暗 (àn, "unlit") gives the compound a direct picture of light disappearing and leaves room for its figurative emotional sense.

Usage tips

  • The word often sounds stronger than a simple report about lighting because it can characterize the whole atmosphere, not just the amount of light.

Other meanings

  • darknessnoun
  • gloomyadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 黑暗面hēi àn miàndark sidenoun

Word lists with this word