黑

It has many derived meanings, all of which originate from the basic idea of “black” or “dark”:

• To be black, to become black,

• Ignorant (figuratively: “in the dark” about something),

• Evil, wicked, malicious,

• To slander, to embezzle, to misappropriate,

• The color black,

• Evening, night,

• Secret, hidden, unseen, unlawful, illicit, etc.

In oracle bone script, it depicted a person’s face smudged with soot.

In bronze script, additional dots were added on the face and body to emphasize soot stains and dark patches.

Common characters with the 黑 radical:

黨 (dang, group/faction)

默 (mok, silent)

點 (jeom, dot or point)

Occasionally: 黜 (chul, to expel or dismiss)

These are the more commonly used characters in daily life that incorporate 黑 as a radical.

Unlike 玄, which refers to a dark, mixed, or mysterious color, 黑 specifically refers to a deep, pure black that absorbs light, like ink.

In Cantonese, it can also mean “beggar.”