黝 (yǒu) - Black & dark

黝Tone 3

yǒu ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

咏与

黝 · yǒu

Black;

dark;

deep black color;

used to describe something very dark in hue.

Blackdarkdeep black color

Usage highlights

Pitch blackDark complexionDeep blackBlack and shinyDarkenedBlackish

Synonyms

  • 黑— black (general term)
  • 乌— dark black; raven black
  • 玄— deep black; mysterious black

Antonyms

  • 白— white
  • 亮— bright
  • 明— bright; clear

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The room was pitch black (黝黑).
  • His skin was tanned dark (黝黑的皮肤).
  • The old painting had darkened with age (变得黝暗).
  • The deep black jade is highly valued (黝黑的玉石).

Collocations

  • Pitch black(黝黑)
  • Dark complexion(黝黑的肤色)
  • Deep black(黝黯)
  • Black and shiny(黝亮)
  • Darkened(黝暗)
  • Blackish(黝黑的)

Idioms

  • As dark as lacquer(黝黑如漆)
  • Deep and mysterious black(黝黑深邃)
  • Sun-tanned dark skin(皮肤黝黑)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used to describe sun-tanned skin, particularly in agricultural societies where outdoor labor was common.
  • In traditional Chinese aesthetics, '黝' represents a natural, healthy darkness rather than negative connotations.
  • Used in classical literature to describe the color of dark objects, stones, or weathered surfaces.

FAQ