When you're describing something that's dark, like a room without lights, or even a gloomy mood, the Japanese word to use is 暗い (kurai). It's an adjective, so it'll usually come before the noun it's describing, or at the end of a sentence to describe the subject.
You'll often hear it in daily conversation, like when someone says the sky is dark before a storm, or if they're feeling a bit down. It's a pretty straightforward word to add to your vocabulary, and you'll find it useful in many situations.
When talking about the darkness of a place or situation, you can use 「暗い」. For example, 「部屋が暗い」 (heya ga kurai) means "The room is dark." or 「暗いニュース」 (kurai nyuusu) means "dark news" or "gloomy news."
You can also use 「暗い」 to describe a person's personality or mood. For instance, 「彼は暗い人だ」 (kare wa kurai hito da) means "He is a gloomy person." or "He is a sullen person."
When talking about the weather or a room, 暗い (kurai) means 'dark'. For example, if the sky is cloudy and it looks like it might rain, you could say 空が暗い (sora ga kurai - the sky is dark).
It can also describe a person's mood or personality, meaning 'gloomy' or 'depressed'. If someone is always quiet and seems sad, you might describe them as 暗い人 (kurai hito - a gloomy person).
You can also use 暗い to talk about information or news that is negative or pessimistic. For instance, 暗いニュース (kurai nyuusu - dark news) refers to bad news.
Finally, 暗い can refer to a lack of knowledge or understanding about a particular topic. If someone is completely unaware of something, you could say 彼はそのことに暗い (kare wa sono koto ni kurai - he is dark/ignorant about that matter).
§ What does 暗い (kurai) mean?
The Japanese adjective 暗い (kurai) is a common and useful word for beginners to learn. At its core, it means 'dark.' This can refer to a lack of light in a literal sense, like a dark room or a dark night. However, like many words, 暗い also has figurative meanings, which is where it gets more interesting and widely used.
You'll frequently hear 暗い used to describe not just physical darkness, but also a 'gloomy' or 'depressing' atmosphere, a 'somber' mood, or even a 'dark' personality. Think of it as the opposite of bright, not just in terms of light, but also in terms of mood and outlook.
§ When do people use 暗い (kurai)?
People use 暗い in many everyday situations. Let's break down the common scenarios:
Literal Darkness
This is the most straightforward use. When there isn't enough light, you use 暗い.
- Situation
- Describing a room, a path, the sky, or any place that lacks light.
この部屋はとても暗いです。
This room is very dark.
夜道は暗いから気をつけて。
The night road is dark, so be careful.
Figurative Darkness: Moods and Atmosphere
This is where 暗い becomes more nuanced. It's often used to describe things that are not literally dark, but feel that way emotionally or atmospherically.
- Gloomy/Depressing Mood: When someone is sad, quiet, or not cheerful.
- Somber Atmosphere: For places or events that feel serious, heavy, or lacking joy.
- Pessimistic Outlook: Describing someone who tends to see the negative side of things.
- Situation
- Describing a person's mood, a movie's tone, the atmosphere of a meeting, or someone's personality.
彼は最近、少し暗いです。
He's been a bit gloomy recently.
そのニュースは暗い気持ちにさせた。
That news made me feel gloomy.
彼の性格は暗いと言われている。
His personality is said to be dark (introverted/gloomy).
Other Uses
You might also encounter 暗い in slightly more specific contexts:
- Situation
- Describing colors as 'dark' (e.g., dark blue), or implying a lack of knowledge or awareness about something (though this is less common for beginners).
For now, focus on its primary meanings related to physical darkness and gloomy moods/atmospheres. Mastering these will allow you to understand and use 暗い effectively in many daily conversations.
How Formal Is It?
"陰鬱な空が広がっていた。"
"部屋が暗いので電気をつけてください。"
"電気を消したら真っ暗だよ。"
"おばけが出てきそうなぐらい、くらいね。"
"今日の天気、どんよりしてるね。"
难度评级
Common kanji, relatively easy to recognize.
Relatively few strokes for the kanji.
Straightforward pronunciation.
Common sound, easy to distinguish.
接下来学什么
前置知识
接下来学习
高级
需要掌握的语法
暗い (kurai) is an i-adjective. To directly modify a noun, simply place 暗い before the noun. For example, 暗い部屋 (kurai heya) means 'dark room.'
暗い部屋ですね。 (Kurai heya desu ne.) It's a dark room, isn't it?
To make 暗い negative, change the final -い to -くない. So, 暗くない (kurakunai) means 'not dark.'
この道は暗くないです。 (Kono michi wa kurakunai desu.) This road is not dark.
To use 暗い with the past tense, change the final -い to -かった. So, 暗かった (kurakatta) means 'was dark.'
昨日の夜は暗かったです。 (Kinō no yoru wa kurakatta desu.) Last night was dark.
To use 暗い in the negative past tense, combine the negative form with the past tense. So, 暗くなかった (kurakunakatta) means 'was not dark.'
あの場所は思ったほど暗くなかった。 (Ano basho wa omotta hodo kurakunakatta.) That place wasn't as dark as I thought.
To connect 暗い to another adjective or verb in the -te form, change the final -い to -くて. So, 暗くて (kurakute) means 'dark and...' or 'being dark, therefore...'
空が暗くて、もうすぐ雨が降りそうです。 (Sora ga kurakute, mō sugu ame ga furisō desu.) The sky is dark, so it looks like it will rain soon.
按水平分级的例句
部屋が暗いです。
The room is dark.
外は暗いです。
It's dark outside.
暗い夜でした。
It was a dark night.
暗い森に入りました。
I entered a dark forest.
電気をつけましょう、部屋が暗いです。
Let's turn on the light, the room is dark.
今日は暗い天気です。
Today's weather is gloomy.
この部屋はいつも暗いです。
This room is always dark.
暗いところで本を読まないでください。
Please don't read books in a dark place.
彼の未来は暗いと言わざるを得ない。
His future seems bleak.
「〜と言わざるを得ない」: Must say that...
最近の経済状況は暗い影を落としている。
The recent economic situation casts a dark shadow.
「暗い影を落とす」: To cast a dark shadow, to have a negative impact.
その事件は彼の人生に暗い記憶として残った。
That incident remained a dark memory in his life.
「〜として残る」: To remain as...
彼女は暗い過去を乗り越えてきた。
She has overcome a dark past.
「〜を乗り越える」: To overcome something.
そのニュースを聞いて、彼の顔は暗くなった。
Hearing that news, his face darkened (became gloomy).
「〜くなる」: To become...
部屋は暗く、何も見えなかった。
The room was dark, and nothing could be seen.
「〜て、〜」: Connecting clauses, often indicating cause and effect or sequence.
この暗いトンネルの先に光はあるのだろうか。
Is there light at the end of this dark tunnel?
「〜の先に」: At the end of something.
彼の話はいつも暗い雰囲気になる。
His stories always create a gloomy atmosphere.
「〜になる」: To become, to turn into (in this context, to result in a certain atmosphere).
常见搭配
常用短语
部屋が暗い。
The room is dark.
外はもう暗い。
It's already dark outside.
彼は暗い顔をしている。
He looks gloomy.
この道は夜は暗い。
This road is dark at night.
暗いニュースを聞いた。
I heard some dark news.
彼女はいつも暗い服を着ている。
She always wears dark clothes.
暗い場所では本が読めない。
I can't read a book in a dark place.
彼の未来は暗い。
His future is dark.
暗い気持ちになった。
I felt gloomy.
空がだんだん暗くなってきた。
The sky is gradually getting dark.
容易混淆的词
Dimly lit, twilight. Implies some light, but not much.
Pitch black, complete darkness. A stronger, absolute form.
Gloomy, dismal, melancholic (atmosphere or personality).
容易混淆
Many English speakers confuse '暗い' with other words that mean 'gloomy' or 'dark' in different contexts. It's often used metaphorically for feelings as well as literally for light.
'暗い' specifically refers to a lack of light or a somber mood. Other words might describe specific types of darkness (e.g., pitch black) or nuances of sadness.
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.)
This is a common point of confusion because '薄暗い' also relates to darkness. Learners often struggle to differentiate its nuance from '暗い'.
'薄暗い' means dimly lit or twilight. It implies there is *some* light, but not much, whereas '暗い' can mean completely dark or simply not bright.
薄暗い廊下を歩いた。 (I walked down the dimly lit hallway.)
The '真っ' prefix can be tricky. Learners sometimes use '暗い' when they mean 'pitch black', or vice versa.
'真っ暗' means pitch black or complete darkness. It's a stronger, more absolute form of '暗い'. '暗い' can be used for anything from 'not bright' to 'very dark'.
停電で部屋は真っ暗になった。 (The room became pitch black due to the power outage.)
When '暗い' is used to describe a mood or personality, '陰気な' comes to mind, leading to potential overlap in understanding.
While '暗い' can describe a gloomy mood, '陰気な' specifically describes a gloomy, dismal, or melancholic atmosphere or personality. It's more about the mood/feeling than literal light.
彼は陰気な性格だ。 (He has a gloomy personality.)
Similar to '陰気な', '憂鬱な' can be confused with '暗い' when discussing feelings, as both relate to a negative emotional state.
'憂鬱な' means melancholic, depressed, or gloomy. It refers to a deep state of sadness or depression, whereas '暗い' is a broader term that can apply to a general sad mood or lack of light.
雨の日で憂鬱な気分だ。 (It's a rainy day and I feel melancholic.)
小贴士
Basic Meaning of 暗い
The most common meaning of 暗い (kurai) is dark, referring to a lack of light. Think of a dark room or a dark night.
暗い as Gloomy or Depressed
Beyond just light, 暗い (kurai) can describe a gloomy or depressed mood, atmosphere, or personality. For example, someone who is always sad might be described as 暗い.
暗い for Color
You can also use 暗い (kurai) to describe dark colors, like 暗い青 (kurai ao) for dark blue.
Don't confuse with くらい
Be careful not to confuse 暗い (kurai) with くらい (kurai) which is a grammatical particle meaning about or approximately. They sound the same but have different kanji and meanings.
Opposite of 暗い
The opposite of 暗い (kurai) is 明るい (akarui), which means bright or cheerful. Learning opposites together helps solidify vocabulary.
Using in Sentences: Light
To say 'It's dark,' you can use 暗いです (kurai desu) or 部屋が暗い (heya ga kurai) for 'The room is dark.'
Using in Sentences: Mood
To describe a gloomy atmosphere, you might say 暗い雰囲気 (kurai fun'iki). For a gloomy person, it's 暗い人 (kurai hito).
暗い with Verbs
You can modify verbs with 暗く (kuraku), the adverbial form. For instance, 暗くなる (kuraku naru) means 'to become dark' or 'to get gloomy.'
Cultural Context of Gloomy
In Japanese culture, describing someone as 暗い (kurai) in terms of personality can be a subtle but clear indication of their disposition, often implying introversion or a lack of enthusiasm.
Figurative Use of 暗い
暗い (kurai) can also be used figuratively to describe something that is unclear, uncertain, or has a bleak future. For example, 暗い未来 (kurai mirai) means a bleak future.
常见问题
10 个问题You can use 暗い to say a room is dark. For example, この部屋は暗いです (Kono heya wa kurai desu) means "This room is dark." You can also say 暗い部屋 (kurai heya) for "a dark room."
No, it doesn't. While it often refers to physical darkness, 暗い can also describe a mood or personality as gloomy or cheerless. For instance, 暗い顔 (kurai kao) means "a gloomy face."
The most common opposite of 暗い is 明るい (akarui), which means "bright" or "cheerful." You can use it for both physical brightness and a cheerful mood.
Yes, you can. If someone has a somber or reserved personality, you can describe them as 暗い人 (kurai hito), meaning "a gloomy/introverted person."
暗い is already a polite adjective when used with です (desu). For example, その場所は暗いですね (Sono basho wa kurai desu ne) means "That place is dark, isn't it?" The politeness comes from the sentence ending.
Yes, there is. While they sound the same, くらい (kurai) can also be a particle meaning "about" or "approximately." For example, ３時間くらい (san-jikan kurai) means "about three hours." The context usually makes it clear which one is being used.
Yes, it can. You can use 暗い to describe dark shades of colors. For example, 暗い青 (kurai ao) means "dark blue," and 暗い緑 (kurai midori) means "dark green."
You can say 暗くなってきました (Kuraku natte kimashita), which literally means "it has become dark." This is a common way to express that it's getting dark or dusk.
Not always. While it can suggest gloominess or lack of light, it's neutral when simply describing a lack of light. For example, この部屋は電気がなくて暗い (Kono heya wa denki ga nakute kurai) means "This room is dark because there's no light."
That's a good question! While 'dark' in English can mean secret or mysterious, in Japanese, for a 'dark secret,' you'd more likely use phrases like 秘密 (himitsu) for "secret" or 隠されたこと (kakusareta koto) for "hidden thing." 暗い isn't typically used in that figurative sense.
自我测试 36 个问题
部屋はとても___。
The room is very dark. '暗い' means dark.
電気を消すと、部屋は___なる。
When you turn off the light, the room becomes dark. '暗く' is the adverbial form of '暗い'.
私は___場所が好きじゃない。
I don't like dark places. '暗い' describes the noun '場所' (place).
夜になると、空は___。
When night comes, the sky is dark. '暗い' describes the sky.
この映画は少し___ね。
This movie is a little gloomy, isn't it? '暗い' can also mean gloomy.
森の中は___。
Inside the forest is dark. '暗い' describes the condition of the forest.
Is the room dark?
It's gloomy weather today.
That place is dark.
Read this aloud:
暗い
Focus: ku-ra-i
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
暗い部屋
Focus: ku-ra-i he-ya
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
暗い場所
Focus: ku-ra-i ba-sho
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
The room is dark.
The weather is gloomy today, isn't it?
I don't like dark places.
Read this aloud:
暗い
Focus: ku-ra-i
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
暗い部屋
Focus: ku-ra-i he-ya
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
暗い夜
Focus: ku-ra-i yo-ru
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Imagine your room is too dark to read in. Write a short sentence in Japanese describing your dark room.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
私の部屋は暗いです。
You are describing a gloomy atmosphere. Write a short Japanese sentence saying 'It's a gloomy day.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
今日は暗い日です。
You are in a park at night. Write a short Japanese sentence about how dark the park is.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
夜の公園は暗いです。
What does person A think about the room?
Read this passage:
A: 「この部屋、少し暗いですね。」 B: 「そうですね。もっと明るい電気が必要です。」 A: 「はい、そう思います。」
What does person A think about the room?
A says 'この部屋、少し暗いですね。' which means 'This room is a bit dark, isn't it?'
A says 'この部屋、少し暗いですね。' which means 'This room is a bit dark, isn't it?'
What kind of face does he always have?
Read this passage:
彼はいつも暗い顔をしています。何か心配事があるのでしょうか。
What kind of face does he always have?
「暗い顔」directly translates to 'gloomy face'.
「暗い顔」directly translates to 'gloomy face'.
What made the house dark last night?
Read this passage:
昨日の夜は停電で、家の中はとても暗かったです。何も見えませんでした。
What made the house dark last night?
「停電」means 'power outage', which caused the house to be dark.
「停電」means 'power outage', which caused the house to be dark.
The room is dark.
His face had a gloomy expression.
I heard some gloomy news.
Read this aloud:
暗い場所ではよく見えません。
Focus: ku-ra-i ba-sho de-wa yo-ku mi-e-ma-sen
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
彼女は暗い過去を持っています。
Focus: ka-no-jo wa ku-ra-i ka-ko o mot-te i-ma-su
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
電気をつけたら、部屋が明るくなりました。
Focus: den-ki o tsu-ke-ta-ra, he-ya ga a-ka-ru-ku na-ri-ma-shi-ta
你说的：
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
彼女の顔には___表情が浮かんでいた。
「暗い」は表情が沈んでいる様子を表します。
彼の話はいつも___で、聞いていると気分が沈む。
「暗い」は話の内容が重く、ネガティブであることを示します。
この映画は___テーマを扱っており、考えさせられる内容だ。
「暗い」は映画のテーマが深刻で重いことを意味します。
将来について考えるとき、いつも___気持ちになる。
「暗い」は将来に対して不安や悲観的な感情を抱いていることを表します。
事件の真相はまだ___闇の中に包まれている。
「暗い闇」は、真相が全く見えない、謎に包まれている状態を強調する表現です。
その出来事以来、彼女の心は___ままだった。
「暗い」は、心の状態が沈んでいて、回復していないことを示します。
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Basic Meaning of 暗い
The most common meaning of 暗い (kurai) is dark, referring to a lack of light. Think of a dark room or a dark night.
暗い as Gloomy or Depressed
Beyond just light, 暗い (kurai) can describe a gloomy or depressed mood, atmosphere, or personality. For example, someone who is always sad might be described as 暗い.
暗い for Color
You can also use 暗い (kurai) to describe dark colors, like 暗い青 (kurai ao) for dark blue.
Don't confuse with くらい
Be careful not to confuse 暗い (kurai) with くらい (kurai) which is a grammatical particle meaning about or approximately. They sound the same but have different kanji and meanings.
相关内容
更多general词汇
いくつか
B1An unspecified small number of things; some, a few.
ちょっと
A2A little; a moment; a bit. Small amount or short time.
すこし
A2A little; a few.
さっき
A2A little while ago; a short time past.
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.
