赤い

• Reading: あかい
• Romaji: akai
• Kanji breakdown: 赤 (aka/seki) — red
• Pronunciation: /a.ka.i/

Meaning

Red; crimson; scarlet. Describes the color red in objects and nature.

An i-adjective for the color red. Used for concrete descriptions: 赤い花 (a red flower), 赤いりんご (a red apple). Red holds strong cultural significance in Japan — 赤ちゃん (baby, lit. red child), torii gates, and daruma dolls are all associated with red. The noun form is 赤 (aka). Conjugates regularly: 赤くない, 赤かった.

Examples

1. 赤いりんごを食べました。 I ate a red apple.
2. 信号が赤い時は止まります。 When the light is red, you stop.
3. 赤い花がきれいに咲いています。 Red flowers are blooming beautifully.

Usage Guide

Context: colors, nature, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 赤 originally depicted a person standing over fire, representing the reddish glow. In ancient Japanese, 赤 was one of only four basic colors (赤, 黒, 白, 青) that had adjective forms.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal