dark, not clear

About this kanji

The kanji 曖 (あい) primarily means "dark" or "not clear." It is often used in nouns rather than verbs. A common compound is 曖昧 (あいまい), which translates to "vague," used to describe something that is unclear or ambiguous. Another example is 曖昧さ (あいまいさ), meaning "ambiguity," reflecting the state of being unclear. Additionally, 曖昧屋 (あいまいや) refers to a brothel that masquerades as a tea house or restaurant. When using this kanji, you might notice it often relates to unclear or indirect concepts, so it can carry a sense of mystery.

Example sentences

• 彼女は曖昧な返事をした。

  She gave an ambiguous answer.

Meanings across languages

English

dark, not clear

Tiếng Việt

tối, không rõ

日本語

暗い, 不明

한국어

어둡다, 불명확

中文

黑暗, 不清晰

id

gelap, tidak jelas

th

มืด, ไม่ชัดเจน

es

oscuro, no claro

fr

sombre, peu clair

de

dunkel, unklar

pt

escuro, não claro

Common compounds

• 曖昧あいまいvague, ambiguous, unclear
• 曖々あいあいdim, faint, unclear
• 曖昧さあいまいさambiguity
• 曖昧宿あいまいやどbrothel fronting as a tea house, inn, restaurant, etc.
• 曖昧屋あいまいやbrothel fronting as a tea house, inn, restaurant, etc.
• 曖昧模糊あいまいもこobscure, vague, ambiguous
• 曖昧茶屋あいまいぢゃやbrothel fronting as a tea house, inn, restaurant, etc.
• 曖昧性解消あいまいせいかいしょうdisambiguation