暗
àn · HSK 4
dark
🌑 日 sun + 音 sound = sun gone, only sound left → dark, hidden
暗 combines 日 (sun) on the left with 音 (sound) on the right. The semantic 日 carries the meaning of light/day, while 音 gives the phonetic clue (yīn → àn). When the sun fades and only sound remains, things turn dim, unclear, hidden.
暗 — sun 日 + sound 音 (phonetic)
暗 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 日 (sun) component carries the meaning, suggesting absence of sunlight, while 音 (yīn, sound) provides the phonetic clue for the reading àn. Originally meaning 'dark' or 'dim,' it later extended to figurative senses like 'hidden' or 'secret.'