Languages › Japanese How to Use the Japanese Word Kurai Share Flipboard Email Print Japanese Essential Japanese Vocabulary History & Culture Japanese Grammar By Namiko Abe Namiko Abe Japanese Language Expert B.A., Kwansei Gakuin University Namiko Abe is a Japanese language teacher and translator, as well as a Japanese calligraphy expert. She has been a freelance writer for nearly 20 years. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on February 16, 2019 The Japanese word kurai is an adjective that translates to mean "dark" or "gloomy." Pronunciation Learn how to pronounce the word kurai. Kurai Meaning dark; gloomy; be ignorant; be a stranger; somber Japanese Characters 暗い （くらい） Example Asa no go-ji dewa mada kurai.朝の五時ではまだ暗い。 Translation It is still dark at five in the morning. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Abe, Namiko. "How to Use the Japanese Word Kurai." ThoughtCo, Jan. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/kurai-meaning-and-characters-2028731. Abe, Namiko. (2020, January 29). How to Use the Japanese Word Kurai. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/kurai-meaning-and-characters-2028731 Abe, Namiko. "How to Use the Japanese Word Kurai." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/kurai-meaning-and-characters-2028731 (accessed June 2, 2023). copy citation