闇
[ja̠mʲi]
yami is the Japanese word for darkness.
闇 refers to the state of being dark or the absence of light. Beyond literal darkness, it is frequently used metaphorically to describe a state of spiritual, moral or social darkness, such as a person's 'dark side' or the 'darkness' within a corrupt industry.
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific term yami-uchi which refers to a 'dark-strike' or an assassination carried out under the cover of night.
- The word yami is frequently used in Japanese pop culture to describe a character's hidden, traumatic past or a secret, sinister side of their personality.
- While English speakers use 'black market' to describe illegal trade, Japanese speakers use the word for 'darkness' to describe the same concept.
Examples in context
- 闇の中で光が見えた。yami no naka de hikari ga mieta.I saw a light in the darkness.
- 部屋が闇に包まれている。heya ga yami ni tsutsumarete iru.The room is shrouded in darkness.
Example conversation
Two people are camping in a forest at night.
- 蓮 Ren周りは真っ暗な闇だね。mawari wa makkura na yami da ne.The surroundings are pitch-black darkness, aren't they?
- 美咲 Misaki少し怖いよ、蓮さん。sukoshi kowai yo, ren-san.It's a little scary, Ren.
- 蓮 Ren大丈夫、ライトをつけるよ。daijoubu, raito o tsukeru yo.It's okay, I'll turn on the light.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう、助かったわ。arigatou, tasukatta wa.Thank you, that helps.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 闇, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
