How do you say "red" in Japanese?

赤

aka

Adjective Kanji

In Japanese, "red" is 赤 (aka).

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Pronunciation

赤 is written using kanji. Romanised as aka, it sounds roughly like "ah-kah" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Aka can be used as a noun (赤, the colour red) or combined with na or no in more descriptive phrases, though in casual speech it often stands alone before a noun, as in akai hana (red flower), which adds an i ending as a true adjective form.

Example sentence

そのリンゴは赤です。

Sono ringo wa aka desu.

That apple is red.

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How to remember 赤

The kanji 赤 contains 土 (earth) sitting above 儿, which can be pictured as a small fire burning on the ground, since fire and embers are naturally red.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

Questions about 赤

How do you pronounce 赤?

赤 is romanised as aka. Say it roughly like "ah-kah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 赤 formal or casual?

赤 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 赤 written in Japanese?

赤 is written using kanji. Aka can be used as a noun (赤, the colour red) or combined with na or no in more descriptive phrases, though in casual speech it often stands alone before a noun, as in akai hana (red flower), which adds an i ending as a true adjective form..

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Red" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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