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Kanji for Darkness

The kanji most commonly used for "Darkness" are 暗、闇、蒙.

Kanji that mean Darkness

  • dark, ignorant

    Also associated with to memorize.

    Onyomi: an Kunyomi: ku.reru, kura.i, kura.mu 13 strokes Jōyō

  • dark, darkness, ignorant

    Onyomi: an, on Kunyomi: kura.i, yami 17 strokes Jōyō

  • cover, ignorant, receive

    Onyomi: boh, moh Kunyomi: koumu.ru, kura.i, oo.u 13 strokes Jinmeiyō

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.

Before you use Darkness kanji

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.

Other meanings to explore

See all kanji by meaning →

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