黒 (hēi) - Black — the color black & dark

黒Tone 1

hēi ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

黒 · hēi

Black — the color black;

dark;

sinister;

illegal;

secret.

Black — the color blackdarksinister

Usage highlights

Black colorBlackboardBlack teaBlack marketBlack hairBlacklist

Synonyms

  • 暗— dark, gloomy
  • 闇— darkness, shadow

Antonyms

  • 白— white
  • 明— bright, clear

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The cat is black (黒い猫).
  • He wore a black suit (黒いスーツ).
  • This is a black market transaction (闇市場取引).
  • The company suffered a black mark on its record (汚点).

Collocations

  • Black color(黒色)
  • Blackboard(黒板)
  • Black tea(紅茶 - though literally 'red tea')
  • Black market(闇市場)
  • Black hair(黒髪)
  • Blacklist(ブラックリスト)

Idioms

  • Black and white(白黒)
  • Turn black into white(白を黒と言いくるめる)
  • Black-hearted(腹黒い)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Japanese culture, black (黒) traditionally represents formality, elegance, and mystery, but can also indicate negativity or evil.
  • Used in martial arts rankings (black belt) to signify mastery.
  • In business contexts, 'black' can refer to being in profit (in the black) as opposed to loss (in the red).

FAQ