Translation guide
Describes a very dark, intense black color. Japanese has several words for 'deep black', each with different nuances and contexts.
To describe a color that is a very dark, pure black, often with a sense of depth or richness.
The most common and versatile word for 'deep black' or 'pitch black'. It can describe objects, darkness, or even being sunburned. It is an emphatic form of 黒 (black).
Literally 'lacquer black', this word conveys a deep, lustrous black with a sense of elegance or beauty. Often used in literary or descriptive contexts for hair, night, or shiny black objects.
Adjectival form of 真っ黒, used to directly modify nouns. Slightly more colloquial than 真っ黒.
Describes something that is vividly or richly black, often with a sense of lushness or abundance. Commonly used for hair, soil, or forests.
黒々とした髪が印象的だった。
Her deep black hair was striking.
To describe an environment or space that is extremely dark, with no light.
真っ黒 (makkuro) refers to the color black, while 真っ暗 (makkura) refers to the absence of light. Use 真っ黒 for objects that are black in color, and 真っ暗 for dark places or situations. For example, a black cat is 真っ黒な猫, but a dark room is 真っ暗な部屋.
Avoid directly translating 'deep black' as 深い黒 (fukai kuro). While grammatically possible, it is not a natural collocation in Japanese. Use the specific vocabulary above instead.
His hair is deep black.
外は真っ黒で何も見えない。
It's pitch black outside and I can't see anything.
漆黒の闇が広がっていた。
A deep black darkness spread out.
彼女の漆黒の髪が美しい。
Her deep black hair is beautiful.
真っ黒い雲が出てきた。
Deep black clouds appeared.
The most common word for 'pitch dark' or 'completely dark'. It emphasizes the absence of light rather than the color black itself. Note: 暗 means 'dark' (lack of light), while 黒 means 'black' (color).
停電で部屋が真っ暗になった。
The room went pitch black due to the power outage.
夜の森は真っ暗で怖かった。
The forest at night was pitch black and scary.
Means 'darkness' or 'blackness' in a more abstract or figurative sense. Often used in compounds like 暗黒時代 (Dark Ages) or to describe evil, despair, or the unknown.
暗黒の宇宙空間
the deep black of outer space
Literally 'the darkness is deep', used figuratively to mean a situation is mysterious, profound, or has hidden depths. Not used for literal color description.
この事件は闇が深い。
This case has many hidden depths.