紅

紅 U+7D05, 紅 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7D05 ← 約 [U+7D04] CJK Unified Ideographs 紆 → [U+7D06]

紅 (Kangxi radical 120, 糸+3, 9 strokes, cangjie input 女火一 (VFM), four-corner 2191₀, composition ⿰糹工)

• 葒 𠸣 𢞃 𣖘 𠮅 𬻤 𦁾 𬕡 𬗻

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 916, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 27243
• Dae Jaweon: page 1343, character 8
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3363, character 5
• Unihan data for U+7D05

trad.		紅
simp.		红

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ɡoːŋ): semantic 糸 (“silk”) + phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ).

彤 (OC *l'uːŋ, “red”) could be a variant of 紅 (OC *ɡoːŋ) (Schuessler, 2007). May be related to 虹 (OC *kroːŋs, *ɡoːŋ, “rainbow”).

Originally referred to lighter shades of red; gradually replaced 赤 (chì, “red”) as the basic color term for "red".

紅

1. red

   紅色／红色  ―  hóngsè  ―  red (color)

   紅茶／红茶  ―  hóngchá  ―  black tea (literally, “red tea”)

   紅包／红包  ―  hóngbāo  ―  red packet

   紅綠色盲／红绿色盲  ―  hónglǜ sèmáng  ―  red-green colour blindness

2. (colloquial) popular; in vogue quotations ▼

   翻紅／翻红  ―  fānhóng  ―  to be popular again

   邁克爾·傑克遜沒有以前那麼紅了。 [MSC, trad.]
   迈克尔·杰克逊没有以前那么红了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Màikè'ěr Jiékèxùn méiyǒu yǐqián nàme hóng le. [Pinyin]

   Michael Jackson is not as popular as he used to be.

   • 董晨宇介紹，這種突然病毒式紅起來的詞彙又稱「米姆」，像「雨女無瓜」這樣由老電視劇而來的「米姆」也有先例。 [MSC, trad.]
     董晨宇介绍，这种突然病毒式红起来的词汇又称「米姆」，像「雨女无瓜」这样由老电视剧而来的「米姆」也有先例。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2019 June 18, 陆宇婷 (Lu Yuting), 蒋肖斌 (Jiang Xiaobin), 《“雨女无瓜”成流行语，老剧靠“梗”翻红》, in China Youth Daily, page 8

     Dǒng Chényǔ jièshào, zhè zhǒng tūrán bìngdúshì hóng qǐlái de cíhuì yòu chēng “mǐmǔ”, xiàng “yǔnǚwúguā” zhèyàng yóu lǎo diànshìjù ér lái de “mǐmǔ” yě yǒu xiānlì. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

3. the red clothes and bunting used on festive occasions

   披紅／披红  ―  pīhóng  ―  to drape in red silk as a sign of honor or for festivity

4. festive occasion; wedding

   紅白喜事／红白喜事  ―  hóngbáixǐshì  ―  weddings and funerals

5. (figurative) revolutionary; Communist; Red

   紅軍／红军  ―  hóngjūn  ―  Red army

   又紅又專／又红又专  ―  yòuhóngyòuzhuān  ―  to have a procommunist mindset along with professional skill

6. (business, finance) bonus; extra dividend

   分紅／分红  ―  fēnhóng  ―  distribute or draw dividends

7. (literary) flower

   殘紅／残红  ―  cánhóng  ―  fallen petals

8. (literary) beautiful woman
9. (literary) blood

   落紅／落红  ―  luòhóng  ―  to bleed as an indication of a broken virginity

10. (euphemistic, Cantonese, Hakka) blood tofu

    豬紅／猪红 [Cantonese]  ―  zyu¹ hung⁴ [Jyutping]  ―  pig blood tofu

    雞紅／鸡红 [Cantonese]  ―  gai¹ hung⁴ [Jyutping]  ―  chicken blood tofu

11. a surname, Hong

• (red):

• (bonus): 紅利／红利 (hónglì)

紅

1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Substitute character for 功 (gōng).
2. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Substitute character for 工 (gōng).

   女紅／女红  ―  nǚgōng  ―  the feminine arts (e.g. needlework, sewing, embroidery)

3. Placename in the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period in Chinese history, northeast of modern Tai'an, Shandong.

紅

1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) Substitute character for 絳／绛 (jiàng).

• “紅”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

(Sixth grade kyōiku kanji)

• Go-on: ぐ (gu)
• Kan-on: こう (kō, Jōyō)
• Kan’yō-on: く (ku, Jōyō ^†)
• Kun: くれない (kurenai, 紅, Jōyō)^{←くれなゐ (kurenawi, 紅, historical)}、べに (beni, 紅, Jōyō)、あかい (akai, 紅い)、もみ (momi, 紅)
• Nanori: あかし (akashi)、あかね (akane)、あかり (akari)、いろ (iro)、かのう (kanō)、くう (kū)、くれ (kure)、くれい (kurei)、くれお (kureo)、くれな (kurena)、くれん (kuren)、まどか (madoka)、れな (rena)

Kanji in this term
紅
くれない Grade: 6
kun'yomi

⟨kure no₂ awi⟩ → /kurenawi/ → /kurenai/

From Old Japanese.

Shift from 呉の藍 (Kure no ai),^[1][2] itself a compound of 呉 (Kure, “China”) +‎ の (no, possessive particle) +‎ 藍 (ai, “indigo → dye”)). The safflower, from which the crimson dye was extracted, was brought to Japan from China.

• (Tokyo) くれない [kùrénáí] (Heiban – [0])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ɾe̞na̠i]

紅(くれない) • (kurenai) ^{←くれなゐ (kurenawi)?}

1. the color crimson, a vivid red edging towards pink synonyms ▲

   Synonyms: 紅色 (kurenai-iro, kōshoku, beni-iro), 丹紅 (tankō)

2. the safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), from which this color is extracted synonyms ▲quotations ▼

   Synonyms: 呉の藍 (Kure no ai), 紅花 (kōka, benibana), 末摘花 (suetsumuhana)

   • 905, Kokin Wakashū (book 13, poem 661)

     紅(くれなゐ)の色(いろ)にはいでじ隠(かく)れ沼(ぬ)の下(した)にかよひて恋(こひ)は死(し)ぬとも

     kurenai no iro ni wa ideji kakure nu no shita ni kayoite koi wa shinu to mo

     I shall not show it as a safflower flaunts its red―not though I perish of a love kept as secret as streams in a hidden marsh.^[3]

3. a 伽羅 (kyara)-class incense

• 紅(くれない)は園(その)生(う)に植(う)えても隠(かく)れなし (kurenai wa sonō ni uete mo kakure nashi, “safflower standing out in a garden does not hide → a superior person attracts attention”)
• 柳(やなぎ)は緑(みどり)花(はな)は紅(くれない) (yanagi wa midori hana wa kurenai, “willows are green, flowers are red → natural; world is different”)

紅(くれない) • (Kurenai) ^{←くれなゐ (Kurenawi)?}

1. a female given name
2. a surname

Kanji in this term
紅
べに Grade: 6
kun'yomi

*/peni/ → /beni/

First attested in The Pillow Book, completed in 1002.

Shift from *heni, attested in the Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE) with the original sense of "rouge".

The ni is definitely 丹 (ni, “red earth, cinnabar”), while the initial pe/be remains uncertain.

• (Tokyo) べに [béꜜnì] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [be̞ɲ̟i]

紅(べに) • (beni) 

1. the color crimson, a vivid red edging towards pink synonyms ▲

   Synonyms: 紅色 (kurenai-iro, kōshoku, beni-iro), 丹紅 (tankō)

2. Short for 紅花 (benibana). the safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), from which this color is extracted
3. the crimson pigment extracted from safflower petals, used in cosmetics and as a food coloring synonym ▲

   Synonym: 臙脂 (enji)

4. rouge (red cosmetic traditionally made from safflowers) synonym ▲

   Synonym: 頬紅 (hōbeni)

5. lipstick, lip liner (also traditionally made from safflowers) synonym ▲

   Synonym: 口紅 (kuchibeni)

• 紅(べに)をさす (beni o sasu, “apply crimson (in face or using a lipstick) → blush; flush; to go red in the face, as from shame or anger”)

紅(べに) • (Beni) 

1. a female given name
2. a surname

Kanji in this term
紅
あか Grade: 6
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling for 赤 (aka, “red”).

• (Tokyo) あか [áꜜkà] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [a̠ka̠]

紅(あか) • (aka) 

1. Alternative spelling of 赤 (aka, “red”)

The 紅 spelling for aka carries connotations of a deeper red or crimson color.

紅(あか) • (Aka) 

1. a female given name

Kanji in this term
紅
もみ Grade: 6
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
紅絹

From 揉み (momi, “kneading”, stem form of verb momu), by extension from the kneading of cloth during the dyeing process.

• (Tokyo) もみ [móꜜmì] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [mo̞mʲi]

紅(もみ) • (momi) 

1. silk cloth dyed an even shade of one color, often a deep gold dyed again with crimson, traditionally used as a kimono liner synonym ▲

   Synonym: 本紅 (hon-momi)

• 紅(もみ)裏(うら) (momiura)
• 紅(もみ)返(がえ)し (momigaeshi)
• 紅(もみ)絹(ぎぬ) (momiginu)
• 紅葉(もみ)つ (momitsu), 紅葉(もみ)ず (momizu)

紅(もみ) • (Momi) 

1. a female given name

Kanji in this term
紅
こう Grade: 6
kan'on

From Middle Chinese 紅 (MC huwng).

• (Tokyo) こー [kóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ko̞ː]

紅(こう) • (kō) 

1. the color crimson, a vivid red edging towards pink synonym ▲

   Synonym: 紅色 (kurenai-iro, kōshoku, beni-iro)

• 紅(こう)をさす (kō o sasu), 紅(こう)を潮(ちょう)す (kō o chōsu, “show the crimson → blush; flush; to go red in the face, as from shame or anger”)

• 紅(こう)夷(い) (kōi)
• 降(こう)紅(こう) (kōkō)
• 紅(こう)毛(もう) (kōmō, “red hair”, during the Edo period, an epithet for the Dutch; in modern times, an epithet for Westerners or Europeans)

紅(こう) • (kō) 

1. crimson
2. safflower
3. female
4. Substitute character for 工: work done by women

紅(こう) • (Kō) 

1. a female given name

紅 (eumhun 붉을 홍 (bulgeul hong))

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

紅 (eumhun 상복 공 (sangbok gong))

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Shift from 呉の藍 (Kure no₂ awi),^[1][2] itself a compound of 呉 (Kure, “China”) +‎ の (no₂, possessive particle) +‎ 藍 (awi, “indigo → dye”).

紅 (kurenawi) (kana くれなゐ)

1. a safflower, Carthamus tinctorius quotations ▼
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 19, poem 4139:
     , text here

     春苑紅尓保布桃花下照道尓出立𡢳嬬

     paru no₂ so₂no₂ kurenawi nipopu momo no₂ pana sitaderu mi₁ti ni idetatu woto₂me₁

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

• 紅の (kurenawi no₂, pillow word)
• 紅色 (kurenawi-iro₂)
• 紅の末摘花 (kurenawi no₂ suwetumupana)

• Japanese:紅(くれない) (kurenai)

紅: Hán Việt readings: hồng (胡(hồ)公(công)切(thiết))^{[1][2][3][4][5]}, hường^[5]
紅: Nôm readings: hồng^{[1][2][4][5][3]}, hường^[2][6][5], hông^[7]

1. Chữ Hán form of hồng (“pink”).
2. Chữ Hán form of hường (“pink”).