Usage of the character 暗

lit. secretly crossing the Wei River 渭河 ( Wèi Hé) at Chencang (idiom, refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang 劉邦／刘邦 ( Liú Bāng) in 206 BC against Xiang Yu 項羽／项羽 ( Xiàng Yǔ) of Chu)
fig. to feign one thing while doing another
to cheat under cover of a diversion

tóuhūnyǎn'àn

头昏眼暗

[頭昏眼暗]

head spinning and eyes dark (idiom); dizzy
fainting
vertigo

qì'àntóumíng

弃暗投明

[棄暗投明]

to renounce the dark and seek the light
to give up one's wrong way of life and turn to a better one

míngzhòngshí'àn

名重识暗

[名重識暗]

of great reputation but shallow in knowledge (idiom)

ànxiāngcāozuò

暗箱操作

[暗箱操作]

covert activities (election rigging etc)
under-the-table manipulations
black operations

ànsòngqiūbō

暗送秋波

[暗送秋波]

to cast flirtatious glances at sb (idiom)

Hēi'àn Shídài

黑暗时代

[黑暗時代]

Dark Ages

míngzhū'àntóu

明珠暗投

[明珠暗投]

to cast pearls before swine (idiom)
not to get proper recognition for one's talents

ànmiǎnjiāoyīng

暗冕鹪莺

[暗冕鷦鶯]

(bird species of China) rufescent prinia (Prinia rufescens)

ànxiànguāngpǔ

暗线光谱

[暗線光譜]

dark-line spectrum

ànxiōngzhūquè

暗胸朱雀

[暗胸朱雀]

(bird species of China) dark-breasted rosefinch (Procarduelis nipalensis)

ànsèyāquè

暗色鸦雀

[暗色鴉雀]

(bird species of China) grey-hooded parrotbill (Sinosuthora zappeyi)

mínglǐ'ànlǐ

明里暗里

[明裡暗裡]

both publicly and privately; both overtly and secretly; both explicitly and implicitly

mínggǎng'ànshào

明岗暗哨

[明崗暗哨]

both covert and undercover (officers) keeping watch (idiom)

ànhuījuānjú

暗灰鹃鵙

[暗灰鵑鵙]

(bird species of China) black-winged cuckooshrike (Coracina melaschistos)

zhūtāi-ànjié

珠胎暗结

[珠胎暗結]

to get pregnant out of wedlock

míngchá'ànfǎng

明察暗访

[明察暗訪]

open enquiries and secret search (idiom); to investigate openly and in secret
taking information from all sides

ànlüliǔyīng

暗绿柳莺

[暗綠柳鶯]

(bird species of China) greenish warbler (Phylloscopus trochiloides)

ànchámíngfǎng

暗察明访

[暗察明訪]

open enquiries and secret search (idiom); to investigate openly and in secret
taking information from all sides

ànxiāngshūyǐng

暗香疏影

[暗香疏影]

(poetic depiction of plum blossom)

ànbèiyǔyàn

暗背雨燕

[暗背雨燕]

(bird species of China) dark-rumped swift (Apus acuticauda)

míngshēng'ànjiàng

明升暗降

[明升暗降]

(idiom) to kick sb upstairs

míngzhēng'àndòu

明争暗斗

[明爭暗鬥]

(idiom) to fight openly and maneuver covertly

liǔ'ànhuāmíng

柳暗花明

[柳暗花明]

lit. the willow trees make the shade, the flowers give the light (idiom); at one's darkest hour, a glimmer of hope
light at the end of the tunnel

ànfùxuějī

暗腹雪鸡

[暗腹雪雞]

(bird species of China) Himalayan snowcock (Tetraogallus himalayensis)

ànwútiānrì

暗无天日

[暗無天日]

all black, no daylight (idiom); a world without justice

míngchá'ànfǎng

明查暗访

[明查暗訪]

open enquiries and secret search (idiom); to investigate openly and in secret
taking information from all sides

ànzhōngjiānshì

暗中监视

[暗中監視]

to monitor secretly
to spy on

ànlübèilúcí

暗绿背鸬鹚

[暗綠背鸕鶿]

(bird species of China) Japanese cormorant (Phalacrocorax capillatus)

ànlüxiùyǎnniǎo

暗绿绣眼鸟

[暗綠繡眼鳥]

(bird species of China) Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus)

Anhēi Pòhuài Shén

暗黑破坏神

[暗黑破壞神]

Diablo (video game series)

míngrénbùzuò'ànshì

明人不做暗事

[明人不做暗事]

an honest person does not act surreptitiously (idiom)

límíngqiándehēi'àn

黎明前的黑暗

[黎明前的黑暗]

darkness comes before dawn
things can only get better (idiom)

jiāntīngzémíng,piānxìnzé'àn

兼听则明，偏信则暗

[兼聽則明，偏信則暗]

listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; heed only one side and you will remain ignorant (idiom)

míngqiānghǎoduǒ,ànjiànnánfáng

明枪好躲，暗箭难防

[明槍好躲，暗箭難防]

lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom); it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies

míngxiūzhàndào,àndù Chéncāng

明修栈道，暗渡陈仓

[明修棧道，暗渡陳倉]

lit. repair the plank road by day while secretly crossing the Wei River 渭河 ( Wèi Hé) at Chencang (idiom, refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang 劉邦／刘邦 ( Liú Bāng) in 206 BC against Xiang Yu 項羽／项羽 ( Xiàng Yǔ) of Chu)
fig. to feign one thing while doing another
to cheat under cover of a diversion

míngqiāngyìduǒ,ànjiànnánfáng

明枪易躲，暗箭难防

[明槍易躲，暗箭難防]

lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom); it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies