noun
Refers to areas of darkness, gradations of light and dark, or the interplay of light and shadow, often with an artistic or atmospheric nuance.
この絵は陰影が美しい。
This painting has beautiful shading.
木々の陰影が地面に落ちている。
The shadows of the trees are falling on the ground.
noun
nuance; subtlety; shades of meaning
Used for delicate differences in expression, feeling, or meaning; often appears in literary or critical contexts.
彼の言葉には微妙な陰影がある。
His words have subtle nuances.
この翻訳は原文の陰影をよく捉えている。
This translation captures the subtleties of the original text well.
Compound of 陰 (in, 'shade, dark') and 影 (ei, 'shadow, reflection'). The figurative sense 'nuance' developed from the idea of subtle gradations of light and dark.