赤

JLPT N4

Red

Readings

On’yomi: セキ (seki)

Kun’yomi: あか, あか(い) (aka, aka(i))

• あか（い）(akai) – red (adjective) • あか (aka) – red (noun)

Structure

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Detailed Explanation

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Mnemonic

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Etymology

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Visual Tip

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Vocabulary

赤

あか

red

赤い

あかい

red (adj)

赤ちゃん

あかちゃん

baby

赤字

あかじ

deficit

赤道

せきどう

equator

Example Sentences

赤がきれいです。

あかがきれいです。

Red is beautiful.

赤い花です。

あかいはなです。

It is a red flower.

赤ちゃんがいます。

あかちゃんがいます。

There is a baby.

会社は赤字です。

かいしゃはあかじです。

The company is in deficit.

赤道を越えます。

せきどうをこえます。

We cross the equator.

Cultural Note

🔴 赤 has strong cultural and symbolic meanings in Japan:
• Associated with festivity and luck, e.g., red envelopes for celebrations.
• Symbolizes danger or alert, like 赤信号 or warning signs.
• In traditional clothing, 赤色 is used in celebratory items like kimono for children and Shichi-Go-San festival.
• Metaphorically, 赤字 (deficit) comes from red ink used in accounting to indicate losses.