Back to dictionary
JLPT N117画 · 17 strokesradical 門freq #1969

get dark, gloom, disorder

On'yomi (音読み)

  • アン
  • オン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • やみ
  • くら.い

Mnemonic

As the dark door (門) creaked open, it revealed a shadowy gloom (闇) that filled the room with disorder and fear.

About this kanji

The kanji 「闇」 (yami) primarily means darkness or gloom. It can be used as both a noun, referring to the state of being dark, and an adverb or adjective indicating a lack of light. Typical compounds include 暗闇 (kurayami), which means 'darkness,' and 無闇に (muyamini), meaning 'thoughtlessly' or 'recklessly.' Another example is 闇雲 (yamikumo), used to describe actions done without thought or planning. Keep in mind that this kanji can also connote disorder or chaos, so context is important when using it.

Example sentences

  • 闇の中で静けさを感じた。

    I felt calmness in the darkness.

Meanings across languages

English
get dark, gloom, disorder
Tiếng Việt
tối, u ám, rối loạn
日本語
暗い, 陰鬱, 混乱
한국어
어두워지다, 어두움, 혼란
中文
黑暗, 阴郁, 混乱
id
gelap, kekacauan
th
มืดลง, ความยุ่งเหยิง
es
oscurecer, desorden
fr
devenir sombre, désordre
de
dunkel werden, Übelkeit
pt
escurecer, desordem

Common compounds

  • 暗闇くらやみdarkness, the dark
  • 無闇にむやみにthoughtlessly, recklessly, rashly
  • 闇雲やみくもreckless, (at) random, haphazard
  • 闇値やみねblack-market price
  • 闇路やみじdark road
  • 夕闇ゆうやみdusk, twilight
  • 闇夜やみよdark night, moonless night
  • 闇市やみいちblack market

Want to actually learn this kanji?

The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.