das Dunkel, –
dark
Definition & meaning
Dunkeln is usually the nominalized form of dunkel and most commonly appears in the phrase im Dunkeln. It means in the dark, in darkness, or figuratively without sufficient knowledge or information.
- im Dunkeln sein — to be in the dark; to lack information
- im Dunkeln tappen — literally “to grope in the dark”; to have no idea or reliable information
- etwas im Dunkeln lassen — to leave something unclear or unexplained
The word can also be the verb dunkeln, meaning to become dark or, less commonly, to make something dark. In everyday German, dunkel werden is more common.
Grammar & Word origin
As a noun, Dunkeln comes from the adjective dunkel (“dark”) and is written with a capital letter because it is nominalized. It is traditionally treated as a neuter noun:
- das Dunkel — the darkness
- im Dunkeln = in dem Dunkeln — in the dark
The ending -n marks the dative form after in when referring to a location.
As a verb, dunkeln is a regular verb:
- es dunkelt — it is getting dark
- es dunkelte — it was getting dark
- es hat gedunkelt — it became dark
The root is related to dunkel and ultimately to old Germanic words expressing darkness or obscurity.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- die Dunkelheit — darkness; a more common and direct noun than das Dunkel
- die Finsternis — darkness or gloom; stronger, more literary, and sometimes associated with evil or despair
- unwissend — uninformed; applies to the figurative meaning of being “in the dark,” not to physical darkness
- unklar — unclear or obscure; describes a situation or explanation rather than the absence of light
Antonyms
- das Licht — light; the direct opposite of physical darkness
- die Helligkeit — brightness or luminosity
- klar — clear; an opposite of the figurative meaning “unclear” or “uninformed”
- informiert — informed; the opposite of being im Dunkeln
Common phrases & collocations
- im Dunkeln [?](vocabuo://word/im Dunkeln) — in the dark
- im Dunkeln tappen [?](vocabuo://word/im Dunkeln tappen) — to grope in the dark; to have no clue
- jemanden im Dunkeln lassen [?](vocabuo://word/jemanden im Dunkeln lassen) — to keep someone uninformed
- etwas im Dunkeln lassen [?](vocabuo://word/etwas im Dunkeln lassen) — to leave something unexplained
- bis ins Dunkeln [?](vocabuo://word/bis ins Dunkeln) — until nightfall or until it gets dark
Make “Dunkeln” part of your vocabulary.
Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.
Examples
Kinder fürchten sich oft im Dunkeln.noun
Children are often afraid in the dark.
Im Dunkeln kann man wenig sehen.noun
In the dark one can see little.
Keep exploring German
Learn words from the content you love.
Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).
Scan for iPhone & iPad