幽暗 (yōu àn) — dim, gloomy, murky | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary/atmospheric word for places or light that are dark and gloomy, with a heavy or unsettling mood. Stronger and more evocative than everyday 暗, closer to 'murky' than simply 'dim'.

adjective

dimgloomymurky

Examples

幽暗。
Fáng jiān lǐ zhǐ yǒu yì zhǎn yōu àn de xiǎo dēng.
There was only a dim little lamp in the room.
幽暗，。
Sēn lín shēn chù yōu àn cháo shī, jī hū jiàn bú dào yáng guāng.
The deep forest was dim and damp, almost no sunlight reached it.
幽暗，。
Tā zǒu jìn nà tiáo yōu àn de zǒu láng, xīn lǐ yǒu xiē bù ān.
He walked into that gloomy corridor, feeling a bit uneasy.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

幽 (dim) and 暗 (dark) combine to describe a dim, gloomy scene.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

𢆶山幽

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢆶

𢆶𢆶幽yōu

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

幽 pairs 山, mountain, with 𢆶 as a sound part.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

日音暗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

日日rìsun

Sound part声符shēngfú

音

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

暗 pairs 日 (sun) with 音, which gives the sound.

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