『この世は暗黒に包まれている』 means 「This world is engulfed in darkness」. It’s a line from Final Fantasy I‘s opening narration, using the passive form 『包まれている (is engulfed/wrapped)』 to describe the state the world has fallen into.
- この世は
as for this world - 暗黒に包まれている
is engulfed in darkness
Before you ever pick up a sword or cast a spell, the game wants you to feel exactly how bad things have gotten. Let’s see how that dread is built one particle at a time.
✅ 1 Japanese Sentence
✅ 5 Japanese Words
✅ +75 EXP
Original Japanese Sentence (Final Fantasy I)
日本語
この世は暗黒に包まれている
カナ
このよ は あんこく に つつまれている
Romaji
Kono yo wa ankoku ni tsutsumarete iru
Possible English Translations
Please note: There isn’t just one correct translation. Japanese sentences can often be translated in several natural ways, and more than one translation may be correct.
Natural Translations
- The world is engulfed in darkness.
- The world is shrouded in darkness.
- Darkness has fallen over the world.
Literal Translations
- This world is wrapped in darkness.
- This world is being enveloped by darkness.
- As for this world, it is covered in darkness.
My Preferred Translation
The world is engulfed in darkness.
This is my favorite translation because 「engulfed」 captures the dramatic atmosphere of the opening narration while staying close to the original Japanese.
Although 『包まれている』 literally means 「is enveloped」 or 「is wrapped」, I think 「engulfed」 best conveys the idea that darkness has completely overtaken the world.
Japanese Meaning Explained
The Japanese sentence 『この世は暗黒に包まれている』 appears during the opening narration of Final Fantasy I, introducing the dark state of the world before your adventure begins.
More than just a description of darkness, it tells us that the world has fallen into chaos and its natural order has been thrown out of balance.
『この世』
Meaning: 「this world」
- 「この」 means 「this」
- 「世」 means 「world」, 「society」, 「era」
『この世（このよ）』 literally means 「this world」, but don’t think of it as just the planet Earth. It refers to the world we live in, including human society, everyday life, and the current state of the world.
You’ll spot 『この世』 in plenty of anime openings and JRPG intros. It’s a favorite for scene-setting before the story properly begins.
『は』
Function: Topic Marker 「は Particle」
- 「〇〇は」 means 「As for 〇〇」
- 『この世は』 means 「As for this world」
The particle 『は』 marks the topic of the sentence. Think of it as saying, “Let’s talk about…”
In our Final Fantasy I sentence, it marks 『この世』 as the topic of the sentence, and everything that follows tells you something about 「this world」.
You’ll encounter 『は』 in almost every Japanese conversation, making it one of the most important particles to learn.
『暗黒』
Meaning: 「darkness」
『暗黒（あんこく）』 means 「darkness」, but it’s much stronger than simply saying it’s dark outside. It often describes deep darkness, both literally and metaphorically, such as evil, despair, or a world consumed by darkness.
Outside of fantasy settings, 『暗黒』 rarely comes up, and that’s exactly the reason why it lands so hard when it does.
Function: Passive Agent Marker 「に Particle」
- 「〇〇に包まれる」 means 「to be engulfed in/by 〇〇」
- 『暗黒に包まれている』 means 「is engulfed in/by darkness」
The particle 『に』 is commonly used to mark the target or destination of an action or state.
Here, in combination with 『包まれている』, it marks the doer (agent) of the action.
In our FF1 sentence, it marks 『暗黒』 as what is doing the engulfing. It might help to ask yourself, “What is it getting engulfed by?” → 「darkness」.
『に』 has many different uses in Japanese, but you’ll most commonly encounter it when talking about destinations, locations, points in time, or agents (doers) in passive sentences.
『包まれている』
Translation: 「is engulfed」
- 「包む（つつむ）」 means 「to wrap」, 「to cover」, 「to envelop」
- 『包まれている』 = 「包まれる (passive)」＋ 「〜ている」
『包まれている（つつまれている）』 translates as 「is engulfed」 and indicates a continuing state of being wrapped, covered, or fully surrounded by something.
Beyond gift-wrapping, 「包む」 shows up whenever Japanese wants to describe an atmosphere or feeling completely surrounding someone or something.
Build Japanese Sentences
| Building Blocks | Japanese Sentence |
|---|---|
| Topic (What about?) | この世は this world |
| Passive Agent (Engulfed by what?) | 暗黒に by darkness / in darkness |
| Passive Verb (What happens?) | 包まれている is engulfed |
この世は暗黒に包まれている。
This world is engulfed in darkness.
Real-Life Usage Examples
Here are some natural examples using 『包まれている』.
Example 1
花に包まれている
→ is surrounded by flowers
Example 2
愛に包まれている
→ is surrounded by love
Example 3
幸せに包まれている
→ is surrounded by happiness
Example 4
山は霧に包まれている。
The mountains are shrouded in mist.
Example 5
この町は雪に包まれている。
This town is covered in snow.
So, can I use today’s Japanese in everyday life?
You’ll come across words like 『この世』 and 「包む」 quite often, and even 『暗黒』 appears more frequently than you might expect, especially in fantasy games, anime, manga, novels, and their songs.
The sentence pattern 「N に包まれる」 is also a useful way to describe something 「being surrounded」, 「covered」, or 「enveloped」 by something else, making it a great expression to add to your Japanese toolbox.
| Word | Frequency Rank |
|---|---|
| は | Top 10 |
| に | Top 10 |
| 包む | ~1000 |
| この世 | ~2000 |
| 暗黒 | ~9000 |
Beyond the Translation
One thing I want to highlight is that our Japanese sentence 『この世は暗黒に包まれている』 does not describe the world as becoming dark or turning dark.
『包まれている』 expresses a resulting state. The whole world has already been fully enveloped, and that condition simply continues.
Imagine a world wrapped like a gift, but instead of paper, it’s completely covered in darkness.
The result is not movement or change, but a still, ominous, cinematic image of a world already immersed in darkness and hopelessness.
Use the Sentence Pattern
Pattern to Remember
N に 包まれる
to be wrapped in / enveloped in / surrounded by (noun)
- 愛に包まれる → enveloped in love
- 光に包まれる → surrounded by light
- 花に包まれる → surrounded by flowers
- 幸せに包まれる → surrounded by happiness
① Quick Check
What’s the meaning of:
『この世は暗黒に包まれている』
A) The world is becoming dark.
B) The world will soon be engulfed in darkness.
C) The world is already surrounded by darkness.
② Mini Challenge
Which sentence means:
「Surrounded by flowers.」
A) 花を包まれている
B) 花に包まれている
③ Try it Yourself
Use today’s pattern to say:
- covered in snow
- room covered in light
- The sky is covered in clouds.
Answers
① C
② B
③ There are many correct answers.
This is just one way to translate them:
- 雪に包まれている
- 部屋は光に包まれている
- 空は雲に包まれている。
What you achieved today:
✅ Japanese Sentences +1
✅ Japanese Words +5
✅ 日本語 EXP +75
Congratulations 🎉
おめでとう🎉
Learn More Japanese with…
Final Fantasy
Video Games
Words
- 包む
- 暗黒
- この世
Particles
- は
- に
Grammar
- ～ている
- Passive Form
Related & Similar Sentences
Final Fantasy 1
- 『そして その手には それぞれ クリスタルが握られていた』
See another example of the「Passive Form」
Related Japanese & Study Guides
How to Say 「Darkness」 in Japanese
Why does Final Fantasy use 『暗黒』 instead of 「闇（やみ）」?
Learn the differences between the most common ways to say 「darkness」 in Japanese.
Every long journey starts with a dark moment like this one, so don’t worry if 『暗黒』 or the passive form 『包まれている』 don’t stick right away. The goal isn’t to memorize every word the moment you see it.
If the next time you play a JRPG or watch a dark fantasy anime, you suddenly recognize 『暗黒』 or notice a sentence built with 『〜に包まれている』, then today’s study session was a success.
See you in the next FF1 sentence! 🎮✨
Alex