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JLPT N111画 · 11 strokesradical 黑grade 2freq #573

black

On'yomi (音読み)

  • コク

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • くろ
  • くろ.ずむ
  • くろ.い

Mnemonic

In the dark of night, the sky is painted black, resembling the silhouette of a mysterious figure under the blackened trees.

About this kanji

The kanji "黒" means black and is commonly used both as a noun and in compounds. It has the kun'yomi reading くろ and is often found in words like "黒い" (くろい), which simply means black, describing the color of objects. Another interesting compound is "黒字" (くろじ), meaning being in the black, often used in financial contexts to indicate profit. Additionally, "黒人" (こくじん) refers to a black person, emphasizing its relevance in social contexts. A quick usage note: when using the kanji in daily life, it’s important to remember that the cultural implications of colors can vary, especially in Japanese society.

Example sentences

  • 彼女は黒いドレスを着ています。

    She is wearing a black dress.

Meanings across languages

English
black
Tiếng Việt
đen
日本語
黒い
한국어
검은
中文
id
hitam
th
ดำ
es
negro
fr
noir
de
schwarz
pt
preto

Common compounds

  • 黒字くろじ(being in) the black, surplus, black letter
  • 黒人こくじんblack person, woman in the nightlife business, demimondaine
  • 黒いくろいblack, dark, blackish
  • 黒鉛こくえんgraphite
  • 黒海こっかいBlack Sea
  • 黒子ほくろmole, lentigo, beauty mark
  • 黒色くろいろblack (colour, color)
  • 黒星くろぼしblack spot, black dot, bull's-eye

Want to actually learn this kanji?

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