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薄暗闇 (うすくらやみ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

薄うす暗くら闇やみ

Meanings

1

gloom; semi-darkness; dim light

Describes a state of partial darkness, often with a slightly negative or eerie nuance. Common in literary and descriptive contexts.

薄うす暗くら闇やみの中なか、人ひと影かげが動うごいた。
A figure moved in the dim light.
部屋へやは薄うす暗くら闇やみに包つつまれていた。
The room was enveloped in semi-darkness.

Kanji

薄dilute, thin, weak (tea)
暗darkness, disappear, shade
闇get dark, gloom, disorder

Related words

暗くら闇やみ
暗闇 means complete darkness, while 薄暗闇 implies partial darkness or gloom.

薄うす暗ぐらい

薄暗い is an adjective meaning 'dim' or 'gloomy', whereas 薄暗闇 is a noun referring to the state of semi-darkness.

Built from

薄うす+暗くら闇やみ

Etymology

Compound of 薄 (usu, 'thin' or 'faint') and 暗闇 (kurayami, 'darkness'). The reading うすくらやみ is a straightforward combination of the readings of the components.