闇 — “Get Dark / Gloom / Disorder” in Japanese

Master (高手)あん, おん, やみ, くら

Radical ⾨ · radical 169 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Get Dark / Gloom / Disorder” in Japanese is 闇, read an, on, yami (あん, おん, やみ, 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 暗闇 (darkness).

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What does 闇 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	闇
Meaning	Get Dark / Gloom / Disorder
Readings	あん, おん, やみ, くら
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	暗闇 (darkness)

How to read 闇

闇 is read an (あん) or on (おん) or yami (やみ) or kura (くら) depending on the word.

Words with 闇

暗闇

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Kanji read the same way as 闇

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

Updated: 2026-08-28