Kurai describes both a physical lack of light and a gloomy, pessimistic personality or atmosphere.
30초 단어
- Used to describe lack of light or visibility.
- Describes gloomy or pessimistic personalities or atmospheres.
- Commonly used with particles like 'ni' or 'naru'.
Overview
- 1概要：「暗い」は、視覚的な明るさの欠如を表す最も一般的な形容詞です。太陽が沈んだ後の夜や、電気がついていない部屋など、光が足りない状態を指します。また、比喩的に人の性格や場の雰囲気が沈んでいる様子、あるいは将来が見通せない不安な状況にも使われます。
- 1使用パターン：基本的には「暗い＋名詞」の形で使用されます（例：暗い部屋）。また、「日が暮れて暗くなる」のように「形容詞＋なる」の形で変化を表すことも非常に一般的です。人に対して使う場合は、「彼は暗い人だ」のように性格の陰鬱さを表現します。
- 1一般的な文脈：日常生活で最も頻繁に使われるのは、夜道や部屋の明るさに関する話題です。「暗いから電気をつけて」といった依頼や、「暗い道は危ない」といった注意喚起によく登場します。また、ニュースや会話で「暗いニュース」と言うと、気分が沈むような悲しい話題を指します。
- 1類語との比較：「暗い」は光の不足という物理的状況と、性格という抽象的状況の両方をカバーします。「真っ暗（まっくら）」は「暗い」を強めた表現で、全く光がない状態を強調します。一方、「陰気（いんき）」は人の性格が暗いことだけを指し、物理的な明るさには使われません。
예시
部屋が暗いので電気をつけてください。
everydayThe room is dark, so please turn on the light.
夜道は暗いので注意してください。
formalPlease be careful as the street is dark at night.
最近、暗いニュースばかりですね。
informalThere has been nothing but gloomy news lately.
将来に対して暗い見通しを持っている。
academicI have a gloomy outlook on the future.
자주 쓰는 조합
자주 쓰는 구문
前途多難（暗い将来）
bleak future
灯台下暗し
It is darkest under the lighthouse (overlooking the obvious)
先が暗い
the future looks bleak
자주 혼동되는 단어
Only refers to a gloomy personality or atmosphere. It cannot be used for physical light.
An intensifier of 'kurai'. It means pitch black or completely dark.
문법 패턴
How to Use It
사용 참고사항
Kurai is used as a standard i-adjective. When used with verbs like 'naru' (to become), it must change to 'kuraku'. It is neutral in register but can be sensitive when applied to people's personalities.
자주 하는 실수
Learners often use 'kurai' for people's personalities too casually, which can sound rude. Also, forgetting to change 'kurai' to 'kuraku' when describing a change in state is a common grammatical error.
Tips
Use for both light and mood
Remember that 'kurai' works for both a dark room and a sad person. It is a very versatile word in daily conversation.
Avoid calling people dark
Be careful when describing someone's personality as 'kurai'. It can sound like an insult or a criticism of their social skills.
Cultural nuance of light
In Japan, 'bright' (akarui) is often associated with being cheerful and healthy, while 'dark' (kurai) is associated with being reserved or depressed.
어원
Derived from the ancient Japanese verb 'kuru' (to darken/sunset). It has been used since the Heian period to denote both light levels and emotional states.
문화적 맥락
In Japanese culture, brightness is associated with positive social interactions, while darkness is often associated with privacy or melancholy. This reflects the high-context nature of Japanese social communication.
암기 팁
Think of a 'crow' (ku-rai) flying in the dark night sky. The dark wings of the crow remind you of the word 'kurai'.
자주 묻는 질문
4 질문「暗い」は光が少ない状態全般を指しますが、「真っ暗」は光が全くない、あるいは非常に暗い状態を強調する言葉です。
はい、注意が必要です。「暗い性格」と言うとネガティブな印象を与えるため、初対面の人や目上の人には使わない方が無難です。
物理的な光の反対は「明るい」です。性格の面でも「明るい性格」として同じ言葉が使われます。
事件や事故など、聞くと気分が沈んだり不安になったりするような悲しいニュースのことです。
셀프 테스트
日が沈んで、外が___なりました。
形容詞が動詞（なる）を修飾する場合、語尾を「く」に変える必要があります。
次のうち、正しい表現はどれですか？
物理的な明るさについて述べる最も自然な表現です。
（道 / 暗い / ので / 歩く / のは / 怖い）
理由（暗いので）を先に述べ、結果（歩くのが怖い）を後ろに置くのが自然です。
점수: /3
Summary
Kurai describes both a physical lack of light and a gloomy, pessimistic personality or atmosphere.
- Used to describe lack of light or visibility.
- Describes gloomy or pessimistic personalities or atmospheres.
- Commonly used with particles like 'ni' or 'naru'.
Use for both light and mood
Remember that 'kurai' works for both a dark room and a sad person. It is a very versatile word in daily conversation.
Avoid calling people dark
Be careful when describing someone's personality as 'kurai'. It can sound like an insult or a criticism of their social skills.
Cultural nuance of light
In Japan, 'bright' (akarui) is often associated with being cheerful and healthy, while 'dark' (kurai) is associated with being reserved or depressed.
예시
4 / 4部屋が暗いので電気をつけてください。
The room is dark, so please turn on the light.
夜道は暗いので注意してください。
Please be careful as the street is dark at night.
最近、暗いニュースばかりですね。
There has been nothing but gloomy news lately.
将来に対して暗い見通しを持っている。
I have a gloomy outlook on the future.
Related Content
관련 어휘
general 관련 단어
能力
A1Nouryoku refers to the mental or physical power, skill, or capacity required to perform a specific task or function. It can describe both innate talent and skills acquired through learning and practice.
異常
A1A word used to describe something that deviates from the normal state, standard, or expected pattern. It often implies a problem, malfunction, or an extraordinary occurrence that requires attention or investigation.
～について
A2About, concerning; indicates topic.
〜について
B1About, concerning; on the subject of.
～ぐらい
A2about, approximately
ぐらい
A2About; approximately; to the extent of.
ごろ
A2About, approximately (time).
うえ
A2At a higher position than.
絶対
B1Absolutely; definitely; never.
絶対に
B1Absolutely; definitely.
