黑暗
hēi'àn
The English word "darkness" is 黑暗 (hēi'àn) in Chinese.
黑暗 refers to the state of being dark or the absence of light. Beyond its physical meaning, it is frequently used metaphorically to describe moral corruption or a bleak, oppressive political atmosphere.
Meaning: state of being dark (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 黑 (hēi), meaning 'black' and 暗 (àn), meaning 'dark'.
Which one should you use?
While 黑暗 refers to the state of being dark, 黑 is typically used as an adjective to describe the color black or a specific dark object.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun, 黑暗 can be preceded by the possessive particle 的 to form phrases such as 'the darkness of the room' (房间的黑暗).
How do you pronounce it?
hēi'àn
Did you know?
- The historical use of 黑暗 as 'rhinoceros-horn' was actually a corruption of the Malay word 'hitam', which means 'black'.
- In modern Chinese, the word 黑 can be used as a verb meaning 'to smear' or 'to badmouth' someone's reputation, playing on the link between 'blackness' and moral darkness.
- The character 暗 contains the radical for 'sun' (日), which is ironic given that the word describes the absence of sunlight.
Examples in context
- 黑暗对我有利。The darkness will work to my advantage.This sentence shows how 黑暗 can be used in a way that works to one's advantage.Tatoeba #5554538 by Alieen, translation #3470537 by corvard
- 他慢慢地适应了黑暗。Slowly his eyes adjusted to the darkness.This sentence demonstrates how eyes can adjust to the 黑暗.Tatoeba #7774772 by jiangche, translation #6093009 by shekitten
- 他的黑色外套與黑暗融為一體。His black coat blended into the darkness.This sentence illustrates how an object can blend into the 黑暗.Tatoeba #13524049 by LeviHighway, translation #286325 by CK
- 夜晚的黑暗使人们无法看清周围的事物。In the darkness of the night, people can't see things clearly around them.
- 烛光在幽暗的房间中闪烁。The candlelight flickers in the dimly lit room.
- 屋子里黑黑的，一点光都没有。The room is pitch black, with no light at all.
- 在没有路灯的郊外，看不到一点亮光，漆黑一片。In the outskirts without streetlights, there is no trace of light, it's pitch black.
- 那段困苦的岁月，让人感到暗无天日。During those difficult years, people felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
- 晚上河边黑闇闇的。At night, it's dark beside the river.
- 屋企冇人嘅時候好冇光，好恐怖。When no one's at home, it's really dark and scary.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is walking through a park at night.
- 佳怡 Jiayi这里的黑暗让人有点害怕。Zhèlǐ de hēi'àn ràng rén yǒudiǎn hàipà.The darkness here is a bit scary.
- 俊杰 Junjie别担心，我在这里。Bié dānxīn, wǒ zài zhèlǐ.Don't worry, I'm here.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那我们快点走吧。Nà wǒmen kuài diǎn zǒu ba.Then let's walk faster.
- 俊杰 Junjie好的，佳怡，我们走吧。Hǎo de, Jiāyí, wǒmen zǒu ba.Okay, Jiayi, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “darkness” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 黑暗, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
