暗 — Dark, Darkness, Gloomy

Meaning

The kanji 暗 means darkness, being dark, or gloominess. Its scope goes beyond physical darkness — it also covers emotional heaviness, secrecy, and things hidden from light or knowledge. When something is done 暗に (in secret), it happens out of public sight. This dual sense of literal darkness and hidden intent makes 暗 a versatile and frequently used kanji in Japanese.

Structurally, 暗 is a compound ideograph (会意文字, kaiimoji) built from two components: 日 (sun, day) on the left, and 音 (sound) on the right. The pairing looks strange at first — what does sound have to do with darkness? The logic comes from ancient Chinese character construction. 音 itself contains 日 at its core. Historically, the combination was interpreted as the sun being muffled or covered — brightness suppressed, as if obscured from within. The result is a character evoking a state where the sun's light is blocked or hidden.

This kanji falls under the 日 radical (the sun), which recurs in characters relating to time, light, and celestial phenomena. It is a Grade 3 kanji in the Japanese school curriculum, taught to children around age 8–9. With 13 strokes, it appears at the JLPT N4 level and unlocks a solid set of compound words you will encounter regularly in everyday Japanese.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

The on'yomi reading of 暗 is アン (AN). This reading appears almost exclusively in compound words (熟語, jukugo) of Chinese origin, and is the dominant reading in formal, academic, or technical vocabulary.

暗記あんき (anki) — memorization, learning by heart. Think of it as knowing something so thoroughly that you no longer need to look it up — the knowledge is internalized.
暗号あんごう (angou) — code, cipher, secret signal. The "dark" element reflects secrecy and concealment.
暗示あんじ (anji) — hint, suggestion, implication. Conveying meaning indirectly, without saying it plainly.
暗算あんざん (anzan) — mental arithmetic, calculating in one's head without writing.
暗黒あんこく (ankoku) — total darkness, blackness; often used metaphorically for evil or despair.
暗殺あんさつ (ansatsu) — assassination, a secret killing.
暗唱あんしょう (anshou) — recitation from memory.

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

The primary kun'yomi reading is くら・い (kura-i), the i-adjective form meaning "dark" or "gloomy." The dot (・) separates the kanji portion (くら) from the okurigana suffix (い). You will hear and read this form constantly — in weather reports, descriptions of rooms, and expressions of mood.

暗くらい (kurai) — dark, gloomy, dim. The most fundamental form: 部屋へやが暗くらい (the room is dark).
暗くらがり (kuragari) — a dark place, darkness, a shadowy spot.
薄暗うすぐらい (usugurai) — dim, dusky, faintly dark. The prefix 薄 (thin/faint) softens the degree of darkness.

Two less common kun'yomi also exist: くら・む (kuramu), meaning to grow dark or to feel dizzy (as if the world darkens before you), and くら・ます (kuramasu), meaning to hide oneself or vanish — as if slipping into darkness.

Common Words & Compounds

Below are key compounds organized thematically, covering physical darkness, memory, secrecy, and contrast.

Physical Darkness

暗くらい (kurai) — dark, gloomy (adjective)
暗闇くらやみ (kurayami) — pitch darkness, the dark
暗黒あんこく (ankoku) — total blackness, darkness (often figurative)
薄暗うすぐらい (usugurai) — dim, dusky
暗くらがり (kuragari) — a dark place or corner

Knowledge & Memory

暗記あんき (anki) — memorization, learning by rote
暗唱あんしょう (anshou) — recitation from memory
暗算あんざん (anzan) — mental arithmetic

Secrecy & Concealment

暗号あんごう (angou) — code, cipher, password
暗示あんじ (anji) — hint, implication, suggestion
暗殺あんさつ (ansatsu) — assassination
暗躍あんやく (anyaku) — secret maneuvering, working behind the scenes

Contrast & Tone

明暗めいあん (meian) — light and dark, brightness and shadow (also: fortune and misfortune)
暗転あんてん (anten) — blackout (stage lighting), sudden turn for the worse

Example Sentences

夜よるになると、外そとはとても暗くらくなります。

Yoru ni naru to, soto wa totemo kuraku narimasu.

When night comes, it gets very dark outside.

この部屋へやは窓まどがないので暗くらいです。

Kono heya wa mado ga nai node kurai desu.

This room is dark because there are no windows.

単語たんごを暗記あんきするために、毎日まいにちフラッシュカードを使つかっています。

Tango wo anki suru tame ni, mainichi furasshukādo wo tsukatte imasu.

I use flashcards every day in order to memorize vocabulary.

子供こどものころ、暗闇くらやみが怖こわかった。

Kodomo no koro, kurayami ga kowakatta.

When I was a child, I was afraid of the dark.

この暗号あんごうを解読かいどくできる人ひとはいますか？

Kono angou wo kaidoku dekiru hito wa imasu ka?

Is there anyone who can decipher this code?

彼女かのじょの表情ひょうじょうが急きゅうに暗くらくなった。

Kanojo no hyoujou ga kyuu ni kuraku natta.

Her expression suddenly became gloomy.

試験しけんの前まえに、詩しを暗唱あんしょうする練習れんしゅうをした。

Shiken no mae ni, shi wo anshou suru renshuu wo shita.

Before the exam, I practiced reciting the poem from memory.

彼かれは暗算あんざんがとても得意とくいで、計算機けいさんきなしで答こたえを出だせる。

Kare wa anzan ga totemo tokui de, keisanki nashi de kotae wo daseru.

He is very good at mental arithmetic and can give answers without a calculator.

薄暗うすぐらいカフェで本ほんを読よむのが好すきです。

Usugurai kafe de hon wo yomu no ga suki desu.

I like reading books in dimly lit cafés.

その映画えいがは明暗めいあんのコントラストが美うつくしかった。

Sono eiga wa meian no kontorasuto ga utsukushikatta.

The contrast of light and shadow in that film was beautiful.

Related Kanji

Memory Tip

To remember 暗, picture the 日 (sun) on the left being silenced by 音 (sound) — imagine a massive speaker blasting noise so loud it drowns out the sun, plunging everything into darkness. The sun is literally being muffled by sound. Whenever you write the kanji, trace the sun first, then add the sound component alongside it, reminding yourself that the sun's light is being suppressed. For the vocabulary 暗記 (anki), picture closing your eyes in a dark room and trying to recall information purely from memory — no page, no screen, just what is stored in your mind.