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What is the Kanji for 'Darkness'? | 闇

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Darkness', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Darkness' is 闇.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Darkness

    Reading

    kunyomiやみ

    yami

    onyomiおん

    on

    あん

    an

    Parts

    Gate Sound

    Example Word

    闇: darkness. The Japanese noun '闇 (やみ)' means 'darkness'. It refers to the absence of light, often used to describe physical darkness, such as in a room or at night. It can also metaphorically represent emotional or moral darkness, such as despair, ignorance, or evil. For example: The room was filled with darkness「部屋は闇に包まれていた」(へやはやみにつつまれていた). He fell into the darkness of despair「彼は絶望の闇に落ちた」(かれはぜつぼうのやみにおちた). The word can also be used in idiomatic expressions, such as '闇取引 (やみとりひき)' (black market dealings).

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    17

    Grade

    10

    Frequency

    927

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    Meaning

    Gate

    kanji

    Meaning

    Sound

Words Using

This kanji is used in 1 word:

    word

    Meaning

    Darkness

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 11 kanji contain the part 門 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Interval, Space

    kanji

    Meaning

    Listen

    kanji

    Meaning

    Open

    kanji

    Meaning

    Close, Shut

    kanji

    Meaning

    Question, Problem

    kanji

    Meaning

    Barrier, Related

    kanji

    Meaning

    Cabinet

    kanji

    Meaning

    Clan, Clique

    kanji

    Meaning

    Fight, Struggle

    kanji

    Meaning

    Inspect, Inspection

    kanji

    Meaning

    Quiet, Leisure

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 4 kanji contain the part 音 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Darkness

    kanji

    Meaning

    Idea

    kanji

    Meaning

    Echo, Reverberate

    kanji

    Meaning

    Rhyme

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 闇 mean?

闇 means 'Darkness'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Senior Highschool, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.