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Kanji Detail for 赤 - "red"

赤

  • Meaning

    赤 means "red." Also associated with bare, sincerity.

    1. Red - The color red; crimson.

    2. Bare - Having nothing; exposed; naked.

    3. Sincerity - Truth; genuine heart.

    4. South - The southern direction; the color of summer.

    5. Communist - Communism; a communist.

  • Words using 赤

    • 赤字 あかじ Listen (being in) the red; deficit; red letter
    • 赤ちゃん あかちゃん Listen baby; infant
    • 赤松 あかまつ Listen Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora); Japanese umbrella pine; tanyosho pine
    • 赤軍 せきぐん Listen Red Army (Soviet Union, 1918-1946); Workers' and Peasants' Red Army; Japanese Red Army
    • 赤ん坊 あかんぼう Listen baby; infant
    • 赤外線 せきがいせん Listen infrared rays; infrared radiation
    • 赤旗 あかはた Listen red flag; Red Flag (Communist Party newspaper)
    • 赤道 せきどう Listen equator; (celestial) equator

  • Four-character idioms with 赤

    • 赤手空拳 せきしゅくうけん Listen barehanded; having no wealth or position to rely on (aside from one's own resourcefulness) (when embarking on something)

  • Origin of 赤

    大, a person, over 火, fire: someone standing in the glow of a great blaze, lit red. The colour of fire on skin.

    How to remember it: A person 大 lit by the bonfire 火 below — glowing red.

    Sources: en.wiktionary.org · mojinavi.com

  • Tattoo check: 赤

    • Verified meaning: red
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read あかさき, あかざき, あかしお, あかじお)
    • Also carries these associations: bare, sincerity

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 赤

    Surnames 赤(あかさき)Listen 赤(あかざき)Listen 赤(あかしお)Listen 赤(あかじお)Listen 赤(あかみね)Listen 赤(か)Listen 赤(せき)Listen 赤(せきざき)Listen

  • Compare with other kanji that mean the same thing:

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    red

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    red; bare; Kangxi radical 155

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    red; scarlet; bare; naked

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    red, scarlet; blushing; bare, naked

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    Vermilion color. Such as saying 近朱者赤 (those near vermilion become red). Red is the most prominent and conspicuous color. Therefore loyal heart is also called 赤誠 (sincere loyalty). | Meaning of prime importance. Such as in ancient China, the divine land was called 神州赤縣 (sacred province, red county). Appears in "Records of the Grand Historian." In Tang times, counties were classified into grades like 赤, 畿, 緊, 望, etc. Same as later terms like 衝煩疲難 (strategic, troublesome, exhausted, difficult). | Empty and void is called 赤. Such as describing extreme famine as 赤地千里 (barren land for a thousand li). Also 赤貧 (utterly poor), 赤手 (empty-handed) have this meaning. | Naked. Such as 赤體 (naked body), 赤足 (barefoot). Also a newborn infant is called 赤子 (infant). | A metaphor for bloodshed. Such as calling the extermination of a clan 赤族 (red clan). Also vilifying with malicious words is called 赤口 (red mouth), 赤舌 (red tongue). Same as saying 含血噴人 (spitting blood at people).

  • Onyomi

    tip

    seki(セキ) セキ

    shaku(シャク) シャク

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    aka(あか) あか

    aka.i(あか-い) あか-い

    aka.ramu(あか-らむ) あか-らむ

    akara.meru(あか-らめる) あか-らめる

  • Strokes

    tip

    7 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    赤 (aka・akahen)

  • Related Keywords

    red bare sincerity communist south anger blood color courage crimson determination empty energy enthusiasm exposed fire genuine heat hollow intensity love naked nothing passion scarlet

Sentences including 赤

  • She decided on the red coat.

  • I bought a red tie.

  • Their baby has just started to crawl.

  • The french flag is blue , white and red.

  • I see a red car ahead.

  • I was bothered by the baby's crying.

  • Who does the baby take after?

  • The baby crept into the room.

  • You should not leave the baby alone.

  • The baby has been crying for almost ten minutes.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 赤 (aka・akahen)

See all kanji with this radical →

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