Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Pitch-black, pitch-dark: Describes an extreme, complete darkness with no visible light. It emphasizes an intense, often overwhelming blackness.
   • Very dark / Inky black: Can describe objects or substances that are an intense, deep black color.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Trời tối đen ngòm, chúng tôi không thể nhìn thấy gì. (The sky was pitch-black, we couldn't see anything.)
  • Căn phòng không có cửa sổ, đen ngòm như mực. (The windowless room was pitch-dark like ink.)
  • Mái tóc cô ấy đen ngòm và bóng mượt. (Her hair was inky black and glossy.)

Advanced Usage

• "đen ngòm như mực": as black as ink. A common simile to intensify the description.
  • Hầm mộ sâu và đen ngòm như mực. (The catacombs were deep and as black as ink.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đen kịt (adj): Also means pitch-black, very dark. Often used interchangeably with đen ngòm.

  • Bầu trời đêm đen kịt. (The night sky is pitch-black.)

• Tối om (adj): Very dark, gloomy. Focuses more on the absence of light (darkness) than on the color black.

  • Ngõ nhỏ tối om. (The small alley is very dark.)

Synonyms

• Pitch-black: Completely dark, without light.
• Jet-black: A deep, glossy black color.
• Inky: Resembling the deep black color of ink.

Related Idioms

• Tối đen như mực: An idiom meaning "as dark as ink," used similarly to describe complete darkness.
  • Trong hang, mọi thứ tối đen như mực. (Inside the cave, everything was as dark as ink.)

1. Picth-black, picth-dark