黬 (yán) - Dark, black & to become dark or black

黬Tone 2

yán ｜ 21 strokes ｜ radical:

妍嬿

黬 · yán

Dark, black;

to become dark or black;

to darken;

also refers to facial spots or blemishes.

Dark, blackto become dark or blackto darken

Usage highlights

DarkenBlack spotsPitch blackDarkened faceBecome blackDark complexion

Synonyms

Antonyms

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

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The sky darkened (天色黬暗).
  • He had dark spots on his face (他脸上有黬斑).
  • The old painting had darkened with age (古画因年代久远而黬化).
  • The room was pitch black (房间黬黑一片).

Collocations

  • Darken(黬暗)
  • Black spots(黬斑)
  • Pitch black(黬黑)
  • Darkened face(黬面)
  • Become black(黬化)
  • Dark complexion(黬色)

Idioms

  • Dark and indistinguishable(黬黮难分)
  • Face covered with dark spots(满面黬黮)
  • Pitch black without light(黬黑无光)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • This character is rarely used in modern Chinese and appears mainly in classical texts.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine and physiognomy, it referred to facial discolorations or spots.
  • The character embodies the concept of darkness or blackening, often with negative connotations.

FAQ