暗

The Chinese character 暗 (àn) for "dark" is composed of two parts: 日 (rì) for "sun" and 昧 (mèi) for "not clear". The original meaning of 暗 was "the sun is not clear", which refers to the state of the sky when it is cloudy or dark. In modern Chinese, 暗 is used to describe anything that is not bright or clear, such as a dark room, a dark night, or a dark secret.The character 暗 can also be used figuratively to describe something that is hidden or not obvious. For example, a person who is 暗恋 (ànliàn) someone is secretly in love with them. A person who is 暗中 (ànzhōng) doing something is doing it in secret.The character 暗 is also used in many idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 暗渡陈仓 (àn dù chéncāng) means "to secretly transport troops and supplies through the Chencang Pass", which refers to a famous military strategy used by the Chinese general Zhuge Liang in the Three Kingdoms period. The proverb 灯下黑 (dēngxià hēi) means "it is dark under the lamp", which refers to the fact that something can be hidden right in front of our eyes but we may not notice it.The character 暗 is a common character in Chinese and it is used in a variety of contexts. By understanding the etymology of 暗, we can better understand its meaning and usage.