暗 Stroke Order — How to Write 暗
暗 is written in 13 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 日, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
暗 Radical and Character Components
暗 is a phono-semantic compound: 日 (sun) carries the meaning, while 音 indicates the sound.
Radical: 日 + 9 more strokes
暗 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- àn
Meanings of 暗 in Chinese
1
àn暗
Dark; dim; gloomy; obscure; without light; opposite of 'bright'.
突然停电，房间里一片黑暗
Suddenly the power went out, and the room was plunged into darkness.
Hidden, secret, or not openly displayed; implying something without stating it directly.
他的话暗含着某种警告意味。
His words subtly implied a kind of warning.
Ignorant, muddled, or lacking clear understanding, often due to a lack of comprehensive information or critical thinking.
只听信一家之言，往往会使人变得愚暗。
Only believing one side's story often makes people ignorant and muddled.
Common Words and Phrases with 暗
1
2
An unlicensed or clandestine prostitute.
小巷深处，暗娼们悄悄地招揽着顾客。
Deep in the alley, clandestine prostitutes discreetly solicited customers.
3
offstage details in a play revealed through narration or dialogue
剧本中的那段暗场描写，让观众自行想象了主角在后台的紧张准备。
The offstage description in the script allowed the audience to imagine the protagonist's tense preparation backstage.
4
Undercurrent; a hidden trend or force.
在看似平静的湖面下，一股强劲的暗潮正在涌动。
Under the seemingly calm lake surface, a strong undercurrent was surging.
5
dark and gloomy; dim and dull
窗外天空暗沉沉的，似乎要下雨了
The sky outside the window was dark and gloomy, as if it was about to rain.
6
a dark, hidden, or obscure place; a secret location.
请不要把贵重物品放在暗处，以免丢失。
Please do not put valuable items in dark or hidden places, to avoid losing them.
7
Dim, dark, or gloomy; lacking brightness or hope.
窗外的雨景让房间显得有些暗淡。
The rainy scene outside the window made the room seem a bit dim.
8
to make secret inquiries or investigations; to conduct an undercover visit
记者对那家餐厅进行了一次暗访，发现了一些不为人知的卫生问题。
The reporter conducted a secret investigation of that restaurant and uncovered some unknown hygiene issues.
9
To secretly harm or murder someone; to assassinate; to stab in the back.
小王因为嫉妒，试图暗害同事，结果被主管发现了。
Driven by jealousy, Xiao Wang attempted to secretly harm a colleague, but his actions were discovered by the supervisor.
10
A secret signal or password
为了在聚会中方便辨认同伴，他们设计了一个简单的暗号，比如拍两下肩膀。
To easily identify their companions at the gathering, they designed a simple secret sign, such as tapping their shoulders twice.
11
Secret or coded language; also, gossip or words spoken behind someone's back.
他们之间常说些别人听不懂的暗话，仿佛在进行只有他们才懂的交流。
They often speak in secret codes that others don't understand, as if having a conversation only they comprehend.
12
A secret mark; or to memorize something silently.
为了在考试时能迅速找到重点，小明在课本的边缘做了一些不易察觉的暗记
To quickly locate key points during the exam, Xiao Ming made some inconspicuous secret marks on the edge of his textbook.
13
An arrow shot from hiding; a secret plot or attack, often used figuratively to mean a stab in the back.
在团队合作中，我们应该避免放暗箭，而要坦诚沟通。
In teamwork, we should avoid underhanded tactics and communicate honestly.
More words with 暗
- hēi黑àn暗Darkness, Dark
- hūn昏àn暗dim; dusky
- huī灰àn暗Gloomy or murky grey.
- huì晦àn暗dark; gloomy; dim
- yīn阴àn暗dark; gloomy; lacking light
- yōu幽àn暗dim and gloomy
- bó薄àn暗dim; dusky; twilight
- qī凄àn暗desolate and dim; somber and gloomy
- àn暗zhōng中secretly, covertly
- fàng放àn暗jiàn箭To stab someone in the back, To make a sneak attack
- yīn阴àn暗miàn面the dark side, negative aspect
- àn暗jiāo礁reef, submerged rock
- àn暗cáng藏conceal, harbor
- àn暗fáng房darkroom
- àn暗hán含imply, hint
- àn暗shì示hint, imply
- àn暗suàn算plot against, backstab
- àn暗xiǎng想think to oneself, muse
- àn暗zhǐ指imply, allude
- biàn变àn暗dim, darken
Idioms with 暗
- àn暗cáng藏shā杀jī机harbor hidden malicious intent
- àn暗dàn淡wú无guāng光dim and lusterless
- àn暗dù度chén陈cāng仓pretend one thing, secretly do another
- àn暗dù渡chén陈cāng仓feign one thing while secretly doing another
- àn暗jiàn箭míng明qiāng枪covert and overt attacks
- àn暗jiàn箭nán难fáng防Hard to guard against a hidden attack
- àn暗jiàn箭shāng伤rén人stab someone in the back
- àn暗jiāo礁xiǎn险tān滩hidden dangers and lurking perils
- àn暗shì室féng逢dēng灯Finding timely help in a desperate situation
- àn暗sòng送qiū秋bō波flirt covertly
- àn暗wú无tiān天rì日utter darkness and oppression
- àn暗yuē约sī私qī期make secret appointments
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Open the tool →Questions about 暗
What does 暗 mean in Chinese?
暗 (àn) means “Dark” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 暗?
暗 is pronounced àn in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 暗 have?
暗 has 13 strokes.
How do you write 暗?
暗 is written in 13 strokes, starting from the radical 日. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 暗?
The radical of 暗 is 日, and 暗 is a phono-semantic compound.
