暗あん澹たん

あ

ん

た

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle

Describes a situation, mood, or prospect that is bleak, hopeless, or deeply discouraging. Often used in literary or formal contexts. Functions as a taru-adjective (〜たる) or adverbially with と.

戦せん争そうで国くにの未み来らいは暗あん澹たんたるものだった。
The country's future was bleak because of the war.
彼かれは暗あん澹たんとした表ひょう情じょうでうつむいた。
He hung his head with a gloomy expression.

See all 3 example sentences ›

Kanji

暗darkness, disappear, shade
澹calm, quiet, bland
憺calm, quiet, move

Related words

暗くらい
暗い is the common word for 'dark' (lack of light) or 'gloomy' (mood). 暗澹 is more literary and emphasizes a deep, hopeless bleakness, often about situations or futures.
陰いん鬱うつ
陰鬱 also means 'gloomy' or 'dismal', but can describe weather, atmosphere, or personality. 暗澹 is stronger and more often used for prospects or abstract conditions.

Written forms

暗あん澹たんUsage89%
Standard kanji form. The second kanji 澹 is not a Jōyō kanji, so the word is sometimes written with kana as 暗たん.
暗あんたんUsage8%
search-only kanji form
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling, especially in modern writing, because 澹 is not a Jōyō kanji.
暗あん憺たんUsage2%
search-only kanji form
Variant kanji form using 憺 instead of 澹. Rarely used.

Etymology

From Chinese 暗澹 (àndàn), meaning 'dim' or 'gloomy'. The Japanese reading is on'yomi. The second character 澹 is rare in modern Japanese and is sometimes replaced by kana.