暗
darkness · disappear · shade · informal · grow dark · be blinded
Details
Description
Dark - sun gone, only sound left. Gloom, and the ignorance of not being able to see.
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of sun (日) and sound (音). State where only sound remains, no sun.
Symbolism
Darkness, gloom, implication. Also represents absence of knowledge or hope.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Moon floating in darkness
Component Breakdown
sun + sound
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
暗黒時代
あんこくじだい
Dark Ages; dark age
暗中模索
あんちゅうもさく
groping in the dark; exploring new avenues without having any clues
疑心暗鬼
ぎしんあんき
suspicion will raise bogies; once you suspect something, everything else will look suspicious; jumping at shadows
自己暗示
じこあんじ
autosuggestion; self-suggestion
暗中飛躍
あんちゅうひやく
behind-the-scenes maneuvering; behind-the-scenes manoeuvering; secret maneuvers
暗雲低迷
あんうんていめい
gathering dark clouds; being under the shadow of
暗送秋波
あんそうしゅうは
giving an amorous sidelong look; casting an amorous glance (at); playing up to someone behind the scenes
如法暗夜
にょほうあんや
total (utter) darkness
柳暗花明
りゅうあんかめい
beautiful scenery of spring; red-light district
Proverbs & Idioms
暗がりから牛を引く
くらがりからうしをひく
Pulling a cow from the dark
Doing something random or pointless
Anime & Manga
暗殺教室
Assassination Classroom
A well-known work with 暗 in its Japanese title.
世界最高の暗殺者、異世界貴族に転生する
The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat
A well-known work with 暗 in its Japanese title.
暗殺者である俺のステータスが 勇者よりも明らかに強いのだが
My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s
A well-known work with 暗 in its Japanese title.
桃源暗鬼
TOUGEN ANKI
A well-known work with 暗 in its Japanese title.
解雇された暗黒兵士（30代）のスローなセカンドライフ
Chillin’ in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King’s Army
A well-known work with 暗 in its Japanese title.
Other kanji with the same meaning
“disappear”
“informal”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 暗 mean in Japanese?
暗 means darkness, disappear, shade, informal, grow dark, be blinded. Dark - sun gone, only sound left. Gloom, and the ignorance of not being able to see.
How do you read 暗?
On'yomi: アン (AN). Kun'yomi: くら.い、くら.む、くれ.る (kurai, kuramu, kureru).
How many strokes does 暗 have?
暗 has 13 strokes. Its radical is 日 (sun).
Is 暗 a good kanji for a tattoo?
暗 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means darkness, disappear, shade, informal, grow dark, be blinded. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.