暗

• Pinyin: àn
• Hanzi breakdown: 暗 = 日 (sun) + 音 (sound, phonetic component)

Meaning

Dark; dim. Describes insufficient light or a lack of brightness.

Used for both literal darkness (a dark room, dim lighting) and figurative darkness (secret, hidden). In compounds like 暗示 (hint), 暗中 (secretly), and 黑暗 (darkness), the figurative sense of hidden or concealed is prominent. Opposite of 亮 (bright).

Examples

1. 房间里太暗了，你把灯打开吧。 The room is too dark — please turn on the light.
2. 天色渐渐暗了下来，我们该回家了。 The sky gradually grew dark; it's time for us to go home.
3. 这条小路很暗，晚上走要小心。 This little path is very dark — be careful when walking here at night.

Usage Guide

Context: description, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这里光线太暗，看不清楚字。(The light here is too dim — I can't read the words clearly.)
• 冬天天暗得很早。(In winter it gets dark very early.)

Don't Say

• 说'他的性格很暗' (Don't use 暗 alone to describe someone's personality as 'dark' — use 阴暗 or 消极 for that meaning)

Origin & History

Composed of 日 (sun) and 音 (sound, used as phonetic component). The sun radical indicates a connection to light — in this case, the absence of it.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal