Dictionary › 暗

暗

àn

HSK 4 Character

What 暗 means

1. dark
2. to turn dark
3. secret; hidden
4. literaryconfused; ignorant

Other readings

暗 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• ànto close (a door); to eclipse; confused; ignorant (variant of {暗|àn})
• ànvariant of {暗|àn}

Example sentences

• 好暗。
  It was so dark.
• 天非常暗。
  The sky is very dark.
• 天暗了下来。
  The sky turned dark.
• 天色变暗了。
  The sky darkened.
• 你在暗示什么？
  Nǐ zài ànshì shénme?
  What are you hinting at?
• 前途一片阴暗。
  Qiántú yī piàn yīn'àn.
  The future looked very gloomy.

Words starting with 暗

• 暗示àn shìto hint; to suggest; hint; suggestion
• 暗暗àn ànsecretly; inwardly
• 暗自àn zìinwardly; to oneself; secretly
• 暗中àn zhōngin the dark; in secret; on the sly
• 暗淡àn dàndark; dim (light); dull (color); drab; (fig.) gloomy; bleak
• 暗杀àn shāto assassinate
• 暗访àn fǎngto make secret inquiries; to investigate in secret
• 暗地里àn dì lisecretly; inwardly; on the sly
• 暗想àn xiǎngthink to oneself
• 暗藏àn cángto hide; to conceal
• 暗处àn chùsecret place
• 暗号àn hàosecret signal; password; countersign
• 暗香àn xiāngsubtle fragrance
• 暗笑àn xiàolaugh in (up) one's sleeve; snigger; snicker
• 暗道àn dàosecret passage; secret tunnel
• 暗算àn suànto plot against
• 暗地àn dìsecretly; inwardly; on the sly
• 暗黑àn hēidark; dim
• 暗骂àn màto curse under one's breath; to grumble inaudibly
• 暗影àn yǐngshadow; umbra
• 暗流àn liúundercurrent
• 暗喜àn xǐhidden smile; smirk; to rejoice covertly
• 暗无天日àn wú tiān rìall black, no daylight (idiom); a world without justice
• 暗含àn hánto imply; to suggest; to connote; implicit

Words containing 暗

• 黑暗hēi àndark; darkly; darkness
• 昏暗hūn àndusky
• 阴暗yīn àndim; dark; overcast
• 灰暗huī àndull gray; drab; murky
• 幽暗yōu àngloom
• 柳暗花明liǔ àn huā mínglit. the willow trees make the shade, the flowers give the light (idiom)…
• 晦暗huì àndark and gloomy
• 阴暗面yīn àn miànthe dark side (of society etc)
• 发暗fā ànto darken; to become tarnished
• 变暗biàn ànto darken
• 性暗示xìng àn shìsexual innuendo; indirect sexual suggestion in words, gestures, images etc
• 黑暗面hēi àn miàn(lit. and fig.) dark side
• 名重识暗míng zhòng shí ànof great reputation but shallow in knowledge (idiom)
• 明升暗降míng shēng àn jiàng(idiom) to kick sb upstairs
• 明察暗访míng chá àn fǎngopen enquiries and secret search (idiom); to investigate openly and in secret…
• 明争暗斗míng zhēng àn dòu(idiom) to fight openly and maneuver covertly
• 明里暗里míng lǐ àn lǐboth publicly and privately; both overtly and secretly; both explicitly and implicitly
• 弃暗投明qì àn tóu míngto renounce the dark and seek the light; to give up one's wrong way of life and turn to a…
• 黑暗时代Hēi àn Shí dàiDark Ages
• 明人不做暗事míng rén bù zuò àn shìan honest person does not act surreptitiously (idiom)
• 黎明前的黑暗lí míng qián de hēi àndarkness comes before dawn; things can only get better (idiom)
• 明珠暗投míng zhū àn tóuto cast pearls before swine (idiom); not to get proper recognition for one's talents
• 薄暗bó ànat dusk; evening
• 珠胎暗结zhū tāi àn jiéto get pregnant out of wedlock

Characters built on 音

These share the phonetic component 音 (yīn), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 黯àn(bound form) dark; dull (color); dim; gloomy
• 谙ānto be versed in; to know well

Characters that look like 暗

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 精jīngessence; extract; vitality
• 睛jīngeye; eyeball
• 腾téng(bound form) to gallop; to prance; (bound form) to soar; to hover; to make room…
• 晴qíngclear; fine (weather)
• 靖jìng(bound form) peaceful; (bound form) to pacify; to suppress
• 腈jīngacrylic

Sounds the same

Read àn, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 按to press; to push; to leave aside or shelve
• 案(legal) case; incident; record
• 岸bank; shore; beach; coast
• 黯(bound form) dark; dull (color); dim; gloomy
• 胺(chemistry) amine; colloquial pr. ān; Taiwan pr. ān
• 犴used in 狴犴
• 豻jail