Translation guide
How to express 'darken' in Japanese, covering literal darkening of light/color, emotional darkening, and sky/weather changes.
To describe something becoming darker in color or losing light.
The most common and natural way to say 'become dark' for rooms, skies, or general light levels.
部屋が急に暗くなった。
The room suddenly darkened.
外が暗くなってきた。
It's getting dark outside.
Specifically means to become blackish or discolored, often for objects, skin, or fabric.
銀が黒ずんでしまった。
The silver has darkened/tarnished.
Used when a color becomes deeper or darker, like paint or dye.
色が濃くなった。
The color darkened.
To cause something to become darker.
The standard transitive form for making a place or light darker.
カーテンを閉めて部屋を暗くした。
I closed the curtains and darkened the room.
Causative form of 黒ずむ, meaning to cause something to blacken or tarnish.
湿気が銀を黒ずませた。
The humidity darkened the silver.
To describe a person's mood or facial expression becoming sad, angry, or serious.
Also used metaphorically for mood; '顔が暗くなる' means one's expression darkens.
彼はその知らせを聞いて顔が暗くなった。
His face darkened when he heard the news.
気分が暗くなった。
My mood darkened.
Literally 'to become cloudy', used for expressions becoming gloomy or troubled.
To become shadowed or overcast; often used for mood or atmosphere darkening.
彼の顔に陰りが見えた。
A shadow darkened his face.
To describe the sky becoming overcast or dark before a storm.
The most common word for the sky becoming cloudy or overcast.
空が急に曇ってきた。
The sky suddenly darkened.
Also used for the sky losing light, especially at dusk or before a storm.
嵐の前で空が暗くなった。
The sky darkened before the storm.
A more literary verb meaning the sky suddenly becomes overcast.
暗くなる suggests a deeper, more internal gloom, while 曇る often describes a passing clouding of expression. 陰る is more literary and implies a shadow falling over one's mood.
彼の顔が暗くなった。
His face darkened (with deep sadness).
彼女の顔が曇った。
Her face clouded over (briefly).
English can say 'The news darkened his mood,' but Japanese rarely uses a direct transitive verb for this. Instead, use intransitive expressions like 暗くなる or 曇る, or rephrase with ～させる (causative) if necessary.
Her expression darkened.
空がかき曇り、雨が降り出した。
The sky darkened and it started to rain.