真(ま)っ暗(くら)

まっくら
na-adjective, noun
pitch dark; total darkness; hopeless
descriptiveemotion
1. pitch dark; total darkness
Complete absence of light; extremely dark.
部屋(へや)が真(ま)っ暗(くら)だ。
The room is pitch dark.
停電(ていでん)で部屋(へや)が真(ま)っ暗(くら)になった。
The room went pitch dark due to the power outage.
真(ま)っ暗(くら)な夜道(よみち)を一人(ひとり)で歩(ある)くのは怖(こわ)い。
It's scary to walk alone on a pitch-dark road at night.
2. hopeless; bleak
Figuratively, a situation with no hope or prospect of improvement.
将来(しょうらい)が真(ま)っ暗(くら)だ。
The future is bleak.
将来(しょうらい)が真(ま)っ暗(くら)に見(み)える。
The future looks bleak.
仕事(しごと)も見(み)つからず、お先(さき)真(ま)っ暗(くら)な気持(きも)ちになった。
I couldn't find a job and felt like the future was completely hopeless.

Etymology

真(ま)っ (emphatic prefix) + 暗(くら)い (dark) → 暗(くら)

Common expressions

Usage

When used figuratively, 真(ま)っ暗(くら) describes a hopeless situation where one cannot see any positive future.

Related words

Related Words

Related: 真(ま)っ黒(くろ) (pitch black)
Related: 暗闇(くらやみ) (darkness)
Compare: 真(ま)っ赤(か) (bright red, deep red)
Related: 真(ま)っ白(しろ) (pure white)
general
Added 2026.1.20 21:57 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
07500/07616_makkura