to be in the dark
Idiom Definition:
"to be in the dark"
to be in a state of ignorance
to not know something
These people are literally in the dark. - - - - -> 
Idiom Scenario 1:
Johnny's mother has been called into the school. Apparently, Johnny has been having some trouble at school. Some of the other bigger boys have been bullying Johnny. Johnny's mother is talking with the principal of the school ...
Principal: "Hello Mrs. Smith. I have called you in here because Johnny has been having some trouble at school."
Johnny's mother: "Oh, really? I didn't know."
Principal: "Yes, it seems that several bullies have been hurting your son."
Johnny's mother: "That is a total surprise to me."
Principal: "Has Johnny not said anything to you about this problem?"
Johnny's mother: "No. I am completely in the dark."
Idiom Scenario 2:
What should you not be in the dark about?
What is the full form of the abbreviation "Who's called?"
How can you know who's called?
Idiom Scenario 3:
(Sometimes it is necessary to refresh your browser to see the news stories)
Which of these news stories is about:
- the absence of light? (literal)
- not knowing something? (idiomatic)
Newsfeed supplied by: Google News
Alternate News Feed - (opens in a new tab)
Idiom Usage:
See also:
Gerund Form of the Idiom:
Being in the dark can lead to making mistakes .
Idiom Conjugations:
to be in the dark
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I am in the dark when it comes to modern music. |
I am not in the dark when it comes to modern music. |
Am I in the dark when it comes to modern music? |
| Second-singular (you) | You are in the dark if you are unaware of management decisions at work. |
You are not in the dark if you are aware of management decisions at work. |
Are you in the dark if you are unaware of management decisions at work? |
| Third-singular (he) | He is in the dark because no one tells him anything. |
He is not in the dark unless no one tells him anything. |
Is he in the dark because no one tells him anything? |
| Third-singular (she) | She is in the dark in regards to where her son is. |
She is not in the dark in regards to where her son is. |
Is she in the dark in regards to where her son is? |
| Third-singular (it) | The company is in the dark because it does not know what its competitors plan to do next. |
The company is not in the dark because it knows what its competitors plan to do next. |
Is the company in the dark if it does not know what its competitors plan to do next? |
| First-plural (we) | We are in the dark because we do not know which team we play next. |
We are not in the dark because we know which team we play next. |
Are we in the dark because we do not know which team we play next? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) are in the dark because you do not have a schedule. |
You (all) are not in the dark because you have a schedule. |
Are you (all) in the dark because you do not have a schedule? |
| Third-plural (they) | They are in the dark when they have no knowledge of a particular event. |
They are not in the dark unless they have no knowledge of a particular event. |
Are they in the dark when they have no knowledge of a particular event? |
| Not | possible | in this | tense. |
|---|
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I have been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
I have not been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
Have I been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on? |
| Second-singular (you) | You have been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
You have not been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
Have you been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on? |
| Third-singular (he) | He has been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
He has not been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
Has he been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on? |
| Third-singular (she) | She has been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
She has not been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
Has she been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on? |
| Third-singular (it) | The company has been in the dark since it lost its corporate spy. |
The company has not been in the dark since it lost its corporate spy. |
Has the company been in the dark since it lost its corporate spy? |
| First-plural (we) | We have been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
We have not been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
Have we been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) have been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
You (all) have not been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
Have you (all) been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on? |
| Third-plural (they) | They have been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
They have not been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on. |
Have they been in the dark since last Tuesday when the boss stopped reporting what was going on? |
| Not | possible | in this | tense. |
|---|
to be in the dark
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I was in the dark last week until he gave me the news. |
I was not in the dark last week until you gave me the news. |
Was I in the dark last week until you gave me the news? |
| Second-singular (you) | You were in the dark last week until he gave you the news. |
You were not in the dark last week until he gave you the news. |
Were you in the dark last week until he gave you the news? |
| Third-singular (he) | He was in the dark last week until she gave him the news. |
He was not in the dark last week until she gave him the news. |
Was he in the dark last week until she gave him the news? |
| Third-singular (she) | She was in the dark last week until he gave her the news. |
She was not in the dark last week until he gave her the news. |
Was she in the dark last week until he gave her the news? |
| Third-singular (it) | The government was in the dark last week after it lost their spies. |
The government was not in the dark last week after it lost their spies. |
Was the government in the dark last week after it lost their spies? |
| First-plural (we) | We were in the dark last week until he gave us the news. |
We were not in the dark last week until he gave us the news. |
Were we in the dark last week until he gave us the news? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) were in the dark last week until he gave you (all) the news. |
You (all) were not in the dark last week until he gave you (all) the news. |
Were you (all) in the dark last week until he gave you (all) the news? |
| Third-plural (they) | They were in the dark last week until he gave them the news. |
They were not in the dark last week until he gave them the news. |
Were they in the dark last week until he gave them the news? |
| Not | possible | in this | tense. |
|---|
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I had been in the dark before I was given the news. |
I had not been in the dark before I was given the news. |
Had I been in the dark before I was given the news? |
| Second-singular (you) | You had been in the dark before you were given the news. |
You had not been in the dark before you were given the news. |
Had you been in the dark before you were given the news? |
| Third-singular (he) | He had been in the dark before he was given the news. |
He had not been in the dark before he was given the news. |
Had he been in the dark before he was given the news? |
| Third-singular (she) | She had been in the dark before she was given the news. |
She had not been in the dark before she was given the news. |
Had she been in the dark before she was given the news? |
| Third-singular (it) | The government had been in the dark before it recruited new spies. |
The government had not been in the dark before it recruited new spies. |
Had the government been in the dark before it recruited new spies? |
| First-plural (we) | We had been in the dark before we were given the news. |
We had not been in the dark before we were given the news. |
Had we been in the dark before we were given the news? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) had been in the dark before you (all) were given the news. |
You (all) had not been in the dark before you (all) were given the news. |
Had you (all) been in the dark before you (all) were given the news? |
| Third-plural (they) | They had been in the dark before they were given the news. |
They had not been in the dark before they were given the news. |
Had they been in the dark before they were given the news? |
| Not | possible | in this | tense. |
|---|
to be in the dark
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I will be in the dark next week when my information source goes out of town. I am going to be in the dark next week when my information source goes out of town. |
I will not be in the dark next week when my information source goes out of town. I am not going to be in the dark next week when my information source goes out of town. |
Will I be in the dark next week when my information source goes out of town? Am I going to be in the dark next week when my information source goes out of town? |
| Second-singular (you) | You will be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town. You are going to be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town. |
You will not be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town. You are not going to be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town. |
Will you be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town? Are you going to be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town? |
| Third-singular (he) | He will be in the dark next week when his information source goes out of town. He is going to be in the dark next week when his information source goes out of town. |
He will not be in the dark next week when his information source goes out of town. He is not going to be in the dark next week when his information source goes out of town. |
Will he be in the dark next week when his information source goes out of town? Is he going to be in the dark next week when his information source goes out of town? |
| Third-singular (she) | She will be in the dark next week when her information source goes out of town. She is going to be in the dark next week when her information source goes out of town. |
She will not be in the dark next week when her information source goes out of town. She is not going to be in the dark next week when her information source goes out of town. |
Will she be in the dark next week when her information source goes out of town? Is she going to be in the dark next week when her information source goes out of town? |
| Third-singular (it) | The team will be in the dark next week when its spy quits spying. The team is going to be in the dark next week when its spy quits spying. |
The team will not be in the dark next week when its spy quits spying. The team is not going to be in the dark next week when its spy quits spying. |
Will the team be in the dark next week when its spy quits spying? Is the team going to be in the dark next week when its spy quits spying? |
| First-plural (we) | We will be in the dark next week when our information source goes out of town. We are going to be in the dark next week when our information source goes out of town. |
We will not be in the dark next week when our information source goes out of town. We are not going to be in the dark next week when our information source goes out of town. |
Will we be in the dark next week when our information source goes out of town? Are we going to be in the dark next week when our information source goes out of town? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) will be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town. You (all) are going to be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town. |
You (all) will not be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town. You (all) are not going to be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town. |
Will you (all) be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town? Are you (all) going to be in the dark next week when your information source goes out of town? |
| Third-plural (they) | They will be in the dark next week when their information source goes out of town. They are going to be in the dark next week when their information source goes out of town. |
They will not be in the dark next week when their information source goes out of town. They are not going to be in the dark next week when their information source goes out of town. |
Will they be in the dark next week when their information source goes out of town? Are they going to be in the dark next week when their information source goes out of town? |
| Not | possible | in this | tense. |
|---|
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I will have been in the dark for two weeks by the time my source returns. I am going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time my source returns. |
I will not have been in the dark for two weeks by the time my source returns. I am not going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time my source returns. |
Will I have been in the dark for two weeks by the time my source returns? Am I going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time my source returns? |
| Second-singular (you) | You will have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns. You are going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns. |
You will not have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns. You are not going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns. |
Will you have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns? Are you going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns? |
| Third-singular (he) | He will have been in the dark for two weeks by the time his source returns. He is going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time his source returns. |
He will not have been in the dark for two weeks by the time his source returns. He is not going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time his source returns. |
Will he have been in the dark for two weeks by the time his source returns? Is he going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time his source returns? |
| Third-singular (she) | She will have been in the dark for two weeks by the time her source returns. She is going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time her source returns. |
She will not have been in the dark for two weeks by the time her source returns. She is not going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time her source returns. |
Will she have been in the dark for two weeks by the time her source returns? Is she going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time her source returns? |
| Third-singular (it) | The team will have been in the dark for two weeks by the time it recruits another spy. The team is going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time it recruits another spy. |
The team will not have been in the dark for two weeks by the time it recruits another spy. The team is not going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time it recruits another spy. |
Will the team have been in the dark for two weeks by the time it recruits another spy? Is the team going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time it recruits another spy? |
| First-plural (we) | We will have been in the dark for two weeks by the time our source returns. We are going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time our source returns. |
We will not have been in the dark for two weeks by the time our source returns. We are not going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time our source returns. |
Will we have been in the dark for two weeks by the time our source returns? Are we going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time our source returns? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) will have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns. You (all) are going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns. |
You (all) will not have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns. You (all) are not going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns. |
Will you (all) have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns? Are you (all) going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time your source returns?
|
| Third-plural (they) | They will have been in the dark for two weeks by the time their source returns. They are going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time their source returns. |
They will not have been in the dark for two weeks by the time their source returns. They are not going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time their source returns. |
Will they have been in the dark for two weeks by the time their source returns? Are they going to have been in the dark for two weeks by the time their source returns? |
| Not | possible | in this | tense. |
|---|
