暗い
kurai
The Japanese word for bleak is 暗い (kurai).
While it can be used to describe a bleak or cheerless atmosphere or outlook, 暗い is also used to describe a person's personality. It can refer to a situation that is bleak and lacks hope.
Meaning: cheerless (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
暗い literally means 'dark' or 'dim'.
Which one should you use?
暗い can refer to actual physical darkness or be used metaphorically to describe a gloomy personality or a hopeless situation.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that a situation or place was bleak in the past, use the past tense form 暗かった.
How do you pronounce it?
kurai
Did you know?
- Japanese uses 暗い to describe someone who is socially awkward or introverted, even if they are not sad. A person who cannot easily start a conversation is often described as having an 暗い personality.
- While 暗い describes a 'gloomy' person, the opposite of a 'bleak' personality is not 'bright' but 明るい, which literally means 'light'. In Japanese, being 'bright' is the standard way to describe someone who is cheerful and optimistic.
- When using 暗い to describe a person, it can carry a stronger social stigma than 'sad' or 'unhappy', implying a heavy or depressing presence in a room.
Examples in context
- この場所は陰鬱な雰囲気が漂っている。This place has a bleak atmosphere.
- 凄まじい荒野が目の前に広がっていた。A bleak wilderness spread out before my eyes.
- この映画は薄暗いシーンが多くて結構陰鬱だった。This movie had many dim scenes and was quite bleak.
- 彼の未来は暗いと思う。I think his future looks bleak.
- この場所はなんかさびしい感じだよね。This place feels kind of bleak, doesn't it?
- 将来が暗いThe future is bleak
- 部屋の雰囲気が暗い。Heya no fun'iki ga kurai.The atmosphere in the room is bleak.
- 表情が暗いですね。Hyōjō ga kurai desu ne.You have a cheerless expression.
- 将来が暗い気がする。Shōrai ga kurai ki ga suru.I feel like the future is bleak.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a movie they just watched.
- 結衣 Yuiあの映画は結末が暗いね。Ano eiga wa ketsumatsu ga kurai ne.The ending of that movie was bleak, wasn't it?
- 健太 Kentaそうだね、すごく暗い話だった。Sō da ne, sugoku kurai hanashi datta.You're right, it was a very cheerless story.
- 結衣 Yui健太さんはどう思った？Kenta-san wa dō omotta?What did you think, Kenta?
- 健太 Kenta少し悲しい気持ちになったよ。Sukoshi kanashii kimochi ni natta yo.It made me feel a bit sad.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 暗い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
