ChiramiN4 kanji · 7 strokes
赤 means red
赤Real origin
It began as a big (大) fire (火): red.
Real origin: where the kanji comes from, as far as scholars agree.
Meaning and readings
- Meaning
- red
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 7
- School grade
- Grade 1 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) あか aka
あか (aka) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
Other Japanese readings: あかい akai, あからむ akaramu, あからめる akarameru
From Chinese (onyomi) セキ seki
セキ (seki) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Other readings from Chinese: シャク shaku
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
赤字 あかじ · akaji
the red, deficit
Built from
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
Quick check
What does 赤 mean?
Right: 赤 means red.Not quite: 赤 means red.In 赤字, which reading does 赤 use?
Right. 赤字 is read あかじ (akaji): 赤 takes あか, its Japanese reading.Not quite. 赤字 is read あかじ (akaji): 赤 takes あか, its Japanese reading.