黑暗

hēi àn

dark; darkness; murk

HSK Level 4

Example Sentences

我在黑暗中行走。

wǒ zài hēi'àn zhōng xíngzǒu.

I am walking in the darkness.

房间里很黑暗。

fángjiān lǐ hěn hēi'àn.

The room is very dark.

我害怕黑暗。

wǒ hàipà hēi'àn.

I am afraid of the dark.

Synonyms

Antonyms

光明 (guāngmíng)

bright

明亮 (míngliàng)

bright

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Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 黑暗 (hēi'àn) for "darkness" is composed of two characters: 黑 (hēi), meaning "black," and 暗 (àn), meaning "dark." The character 黑 originally depicted a person crouching in a cave, symbolizing darkness. Over time, the character evolved to its current form, which resembles a person with their eyes closed, further emphasizing the concept of darkness. The character 暗, on the other hand, is composed of two parts: 日 (rì), meaning "sun," and 昧 (mèi), meaning "to cover." Together, they convey the idea of the sun being covered, resulting in darkness. When combined, 黑暗 (hēi'àn) forms a powerful compound word that encapsulates the concept of deep darkness or obscurity.