『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)
Credit Attribution
- Sentence from Final Fantasy I (© SQUARE ENIX)
- Audio file generated with VOICEVOX:四国めたん
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.
『この世は包まれている』 translates as:
- 「This world is engulfed」
- 「As for this world, (it) is engulfed」
『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.
『に』
Function: Passive Agent Marker 「に Particle」
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.
So in today’s sentence, the particle 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 see it when talking about destinations, locations, points in time, or agents (doers) in passive sentences.
『暗黒に包まれている』 translates as:
- 「is engulfed in darkness」
- 「is engulfed by darkness」
『包まれている』
Translation: 「is engulfed」
Dictionary: 「包む（つつむ）」
- to wrap
- to cover
- to envelop
『包まれている（包まれている）』 is the passive 「〜ている form」 of 「包む（つつむ）」.
It translates as 「is engulfed」 and indicates a continuing state of being wrapped, covered, or fully surrounded by something.
Beyond gift-wrapping, 「包む」 appears whenever Japanese wants to describe an atmosphere or feeling that completely surrounds someone or something.
How to Form the Passive Present Continuous
Step | Word | Form |
|---|---|---|
① | 包む | dictionary form |
② | 包まれる | passive form |
③ | 包まれて | passive + te-form |
④ | 包まれている | passive + te-form + iru |
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 action?) | 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
Let’s look at a few natural, everyday examples using the words and patterns from today’s sentence.
- 〜を包む: wrapping or covering something
- 〜に包まれている: being wrapped in or surrounded by something
Example 1
プレゼントを包む
→ to wrap a present
Example 2
花束を包む
→ to wrap a bouquet
Example 3
霧に包まれている
→ is enveloped in fog
Example 4
謎に包まれている。
It is shrouded in mystery.
Example 5
この町は雪に包まれている。
This town is covered in snow.
How useful is today’s Japanese in real 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
Surrounded By…
『（〇〇は） N に 包まれている』
「〇〇 is wrapped in / enveloped in / surrounded by (noun)」
- 愛に包まれている → enveloped in love
- 光に包まれている → surrounded by light
- 森は静けさに包まれている → The forest is surrounded by silence
- 街は朝日に包まれている → This city is bathed in the morning sun
① Quick Quiz
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 Quest
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 Final Challenge
Complete the sentence:
『この世は暗黒に _____ 』
Answers
① C
② B
③ 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 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 Words
- 『暗黒（あんこく）』
How to Say 「Darkness」 in Japanese
Why does Final Fantasy use 『暗黒』 instead of 「闇（やみ）」?
Now you know why 『暗黒』 carries that heavy, world-ending weight, and how the passive form 『〜に包まれている』 is used to tell us how the world is completely engulfed by darkness.
The next time you’re playing a JRPG and a line uses this same passive structure, you’ll recognize exactly the kind of dramatic, world-in-peril narration Final Fantasy I opened with.
See you in the next FF1 sentence! 🎮✨
Alex