Translation guide
The color red. In Japanese, the most common word is 赤 (あか). There are also specific words for shades of red, red objects, and idiomatic uses.
Describing something as red in color.
The basic word for the color red. Used as a noun or with の to modify nouns.
赤い車が好きです。
I like red cars.
この赤はとてもきれいですね。
This red is very beautiful, isn't it?
The adjective form meaning 'red'. Used directly before nouns or at the end of a sentence.
赤いりんごを食べました。
I ate a red apple.
空が赤いです。
The sky is red.
Loanword from English, used in product names, fashion, or to sound modern.
このレッドのバッグ、かわいいね。
This red bag is cute, isn't it?
Referring to specific shades like crimson, scarlet, or deep red.
Bright or deep red, often used for vivid reds like a ripe tomato or a blushing face.
彼は顔が真っ赤になった。
His face turned bright red.
Crimson or deep red, often used in poetic or traditional contexts.
Vermilion, a reddish-orange color often used in traditional Japanese art and architecture.
Referring to things that are red by nature or culturally associated with red.
Red traffic light. Often shortened to 赤 in context.
赤信号で止まってください。
Please stop at the red light.
Deficit, in the red (financial). Literally 'red characters'.
Baby. Derived from the reddish skin of newborns.
Expressions where red carries a figurative meaning.
Complete stranger. Literally 'red stranger'.
彼は私にとって赤の他人です。
He is a complete stranger to me.
Barefaced lie. Literally 'bright red lie'.
それは真っ赤な嘘だ。
That's a barefaced lie.
赤 is a noun meaning 'red' (the color). 赤い is an adjective meaning 'red'. Use 赤い directly before nouns (赤い車) or as a predicate (車が赤い). Use 赤 with の to modify nouns (赤の車) when referring to the color as a concept or in compound words.
レッド is a loanword and sounds casual or commercial. For everyday color description, use 赤 or 赤い. レッド is common in fashion, product names, or when emphasizing a trendy shade.
紅の花が咲いている。
Crimson flowers are blooming.
The torii gate of the shrine is vermilion.
The company is in the red.
赤ちゃんが泣いています。
The baby is crying.