赤
red
Details
Description
Red - the colour of a great fire. Passion and life, and in Japan also the colour of a newborn.
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of big and fire. Color of big fire.
Symbolism
Red, deficit, baby. Represents passion and life.
Seasonal
"Autumn leaves" and "red dragonflies" symbolize autumn. "Red oni" is a tradition of Setsubun (end of winter).
Words & Expressions
Words written with 赤
Four-Character Compounds
赤手空拳
せきしゅくうけん
barehanded; having no wealth or position to rely on (aside from one's own resourcefulness) (when embarking on something)
赤の他人
あかのたにん
A complete stranger; Someone with no relation whatsoever
Proverbs & Idioms
赤子の手をひねるよう
あかごのてをひねるよう
Like twisting a baby's hand
Something extremely easy
Poetry
赤い椿白い椿と落ちにけり
A red camellia, then a white camellia — fallen.
Anime & Manga
赤髪の白雪姫
Snow White with the Red Hair
A well-known work with 赤 in its Japanese title.
天才王子の赤字国家再生術
The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt
A well-known work with 赤 in its Japanese title.
クレバテス-魔獣の王と赤子と屍の勇者-
Clevatess
A well-known work with 赤 in its Japanese title.
赤面しないで関目さん
Don't Blush, Sekime-san!
A well-known work with 赤 in its Japanese title.
天は赤い河のほとり
Red River
A well-known work with 赤 in its Japanese title.
Games
ポケットモンスター 赤・緑
Pokémon Red and Green(1996)
Developer: Game Freak
The origin of Pokémon series. 'Red' is the version name symbolizing Charizard.
View on Amazon →Related Figures & Stories
山部赤人
Name contains 赤
Yamabe no Akahito was a poet of the Nara period in Japan.
Wikipedia赤染衛門
Name contains 赤
Akazome Emon was a Japanese waka poet and early historian who lived in the mid-Heian period.
Wikipedia赤松則村
Name contains 赤
Akamatsu Norimura also well known as Akamatsu Enshin was a Japanese samurai of the Akamatsu clan in the Muromachi period.
Wikipedia赤座直保
Name contains 赤
Akaza Naoyasu was a Japanese daimyō of the Azuchi–Momoyama period, who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Similar Kanji
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 赤 mean in Japanese?
赤 means red. Red - the colour of a great fire. Passion and life, and in Japan also the colour of a newborn.
How do you read 赤?
On'yomi: セキ、シャク (SEKI, SHAKU). Kun'yomi: あか、あか-、あか.い、あか.らむ、あか.らめる (aka, aka, akai, akaramu, akarameru).
How many strokes does 赤 have?
赤 has 7 strokes. Its radical is 赤 (red).
Is 赤 a good kanji for a tattoo?
赤 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means red. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:red