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Kanji Detail for 黒 - "black, evil"

  • Meaning

    黒 means "black, evil." Also associated with foolish.

    1. Black - The darkest color; absence of light.

    2. Dark - Dim; obscure; shadowy.

    3. Evil - Wicked; sinister; criminal.

  • Words using

    • 黒字 くろじ Listen (being in) the black; surplus; black letter
    • 黒人 こくじん Listen black person
    • 黒海 こっかい Listen Black Sea
    • 黒星 くろぼし Listen black spot; black dot; bull's-eye
    • 黒木 くろき Listen unbarked lumber
    • 白黒 しろくろ Listen black and white; monochrome; good and evil
    • 黒い くろい Listen black; dark; blackish
    • 黒煙 こくえん Listen black smoke
  • Four-character idioms with

    • 暗黒時代 あんこくじだい Listen Dark Ages; dark age
    • 黒風白雨 こくふうはくう Listen sudden rain shower in a dust storm
  • Origin of

    A smoke-vent blackened by 炎-derived flames beneath: soot gathering around the chimney hole. Black as what fire leaves on the wall.

    How to remember it: The window over the hearth, coated in soot — black is fire's fingerprint.

    Sources: en.wiktionary.org · mojinavi.com

  • Tattoo check:

    • Verified meaning: black, evil
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read くろ, くろさき, くろざき, くろすみ)
    • Also carries these associations: foolish

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of

    Surnames (くろ)Listen (くろさき)Listen (くろざき)Listen (くろすみ)Listen (くろはま)Listen (くろやなき)Listen (くろやなぎ)Listen

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    black

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    black; dark; evil

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    Japanese variant of 黑
  • Onyomi

    tip
  • Kunyomi

    tip
  • Strokes

    tip
  • Radical

    tip
  • Related Keywords

Sentences including

  • Under the table was a black cat.

  • He has a black heart.

  • Let's make clear which is right and which is wrong.

  • Nearly all japanese have dark hair.

  • Look at the blackboard.

  • The japanese have dark eyes.

  • Look at the blackboard , everyone.

  • I'll write it on the blackboard.

  • That boy has black hair.

  • Isn't it black?

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

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