不透明な（ふとうめいな、futoumeina）
- unclear

The Japanese word 不透明な (ふとうめいな) describes something that is not transparent or translucent. It means "opaque," "unclear," "vague," or "obscure." It can refer to physical objects that you cannot see through, or it can be used metaphorically to describe situations, information, or concepts that are difficult to understand or lacking clarity. 不透明な is an adjective.

⚫︎ 不透明なガラス Translation: Opaque glass ⚫︎ 不透明な情報 Translation: Opaque information (unclear information) ⚫︎ 不透明な取引 Translation: Opaque transactions (unclear transactions)

You can use 不透明な to describe anything that lacks transparency. It’s suitable for describing things you can't see through (like a 不透明な curtain) or situations where the details are hidden or difficult to grasp (like a 不透明な explanation). It's often used in formal or business contexts, but it can be used in everyday conversation as well.

The word is typically written in kanji as 不透明な or in hiragana as ふとうめいな. The kanji breakdown is: • 不 (fu) - meaning "not" or "un-" • 透明 (toumei) - meaning "transparent" • な (na) - the adjectival suffix There are no variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 曖昧な (aimai na) - vague, ambiguous ⚫︎ 不明瞭な (fumeiryou na) - unclear, obscure ⚫︎ 隠れた (kakureta) - hidden, concealed ⚫︎ ぼやけた (boyaketa) - blurred, vague

⚫︎ 透明な (toumei na) - transparent ⚫︎ 明瞭な (meiryou na) - clear, distinct ⚫︎ 鮮明な (senmei na) - clear, vivid ⚫︎ 明白な (meihaku na) - obvious, clear

その会社の経営状況は不透明なままだ。 ・Translation: The management situation of that company remains opaque. ・Explanation: This sentence indicates that the company's financial status is unclear and difficult to understand.

この法律の解釈は不透明な部分が多い。 ・Translation: There are many unclear parts in the interpretation of this law. ・Explanation: The sentence highlights that the law is ambiguous and hard to understand.

The etymology is straightforward: 不 (fu, meaning "not"), combined with 透明 (toumei, meaning "transparent"). The adjective suffix な (na) is added to make it an adjective.