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One of the best Japanese Kanji dictionary.
The kanji most commonly used for "Darkness" are 暗、闇、蒙.
暗
暗 is dark as a condition — 暗い, dark or dim, and 暗黒 for total darkness. It extends to what cannot be seen or is done unseen: 暗記 is to memorize, to have something by heart, 暗号 is a code, 暗殺 an assassination.
闇 is darkness as a place or a substance, the dark itself. 暗闇 is pitch darkness and 闇夜 a moonless night. It has also picked up a second life meaning illicit: 闇市 was the black market, and 闇 in front of a word still signals something operating out of sight.
蒙 is not visual darkness at all but ignorance, the unlit mind. It survives mainly in 啓蒙, enlightenment in the sense of educating people out of it. For a single character meaning darkness, 闇 names the thing; 暗 describes a state.
闇 is the character for darkness as a thing and the usual choice — but note its modern flavor of the illicit, as in 闇市, black market. 暗 reads as an adjective, dim or dark. 蒙 means ignorance and will not be read as darkness at all.
What is Onyomi?
Onyomi, also known as the "Sino-Japanese reading," is one of the two main reading systems for kanji characters in Japanese. It refers to the reading of a kanji character that is derived from the original Chinese pronunciation.
What is Kunyomi?
Kunyomi, also known as the "native Japanese reading," is one of the two main reading systems for kanji characters in Japanese. It refers to the reading of a kanji character that is based on the native Japanese pronunciation. Kunyomi readings are often used when a kanji character stands alone or is followed by hiragana, as in verbs and adjectives. Mastering both kunyomi and onyomi is crucial for understanding and using kanji effectively in the Japanese language.
What is Radical?
A radical, also known as "bushu" in Japanese, is a fundamental component of kanji characters. Radicals are the building blocks of kanji and are used to categorize and organize them in dictionaries. There are 214 traditional radicals, each with its own meaning, which often provides a clue to the meaning of the kanji character it forms.
What is strokes?
Stroke count, or "kakusuu" in Japanese, refers to the number of individual brushstrokes required to write a kanji character. Each kanji has a specific stroke order and stroke count, which are essential for writing the character correctly and legibly. Understanding and following the correct stroke order not only ensures proper balance and aesthetics but also makes writing more efficient and fluid.