曖 — “Dark / Not Clear” in Japanese

Master (高手)あい, くら

Radical ⽇ · radical 72 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Dark / Not Clear” in Japanese is 曖, read ai, kura (あい, くら). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 曖昧 (ambiguity).

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What does 曖 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	曖
Meaning	Dark / Not Clear
Readings	あい, くら
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	曖昧 (ambiguity)

How to read 曖

曖 is read ai (あい) or kura (くら) depending on the word.

Words with 曖

曖昧

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Kanji read the same way as 曖

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28