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Kotomora

朱

vermilion, cinnabar, scarlet, red, bloody

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes6

Readings

On'yomi

  • シュ

Kun'yomi

  • あけ

Nanori

  • あ
  • あか
  • あき
  • す

Meaning

朱 centers on a vivid red color, specifically vermilion or cinnabar, and extends to scarlet and the color of blood.

Most common words using 朱

20 of 52
  • 朱あけ

    red; vermilion; cinnabar; scarlet

  • 御朱印ごしゅいん

    goshuin; seal stamp given to worshippers and visitors to shrines and temples

  • 朱雀すざく

    Vermilion Bird (god said to rule over the southern heavens)

  • 朱色しゅいろ

    vermilion (colour); cinnabar

  • 朱鷺じゅろ

    Japanese crested ibis

  • 朱印しゅいん

    red seal

  • 朱子学しゅしがく

    neo-Confucianism (based on the teachings of Zhu Xi); Cheng-Zhu school

  • 朱肉しゅにく

    thick red ink (used for signature seals); red ink pad; vermillion ink; cinnabar ink

  • 朱門しゅもん

    red-lacquered gate

  • アフリカ黒朱鷺アフリカくろとき

    African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)

  • 一朱銀いっしゅぎん

    type of silver coin in the Edo period

  • 丹朱たんしゅ

    cinnabar; vermilion

  • 堆朱ついしゅ

    red lacquerware with patterns carved in relief

  • 御朱印帳ごしゅいんちょう

    goshuin booklet; book for receiving seal stamps at shrines and temples

  • 御朱印船ごしゅいんせん

    shogun-authorized trading vessel (authorised)

  • 朱しゅ

    vermillion (colour); cinnabar; red orange

  • 朱で描くあかでえがく

    to miniate; to paint red

  • 朱に交われば赤くなるしゅにまじわればあかくなる

    people will take on the characteristics of those who surround them; spend time with the wise and you will become wise, but the friends of fools will suffer; when mixing with vermillion, one becomes red

  • 朱に染まるあけにそまる

    to welter in blood; to be covered in blood

  • 朱を入れるしゅをいれる

    to retouch; to correct

Explore all words using 朱 →

Study

Etymology

朱 originally depicted a tree with a mark indicating the red color of its core or sap, representing cinnabar or vermilion. The modern form retains the tree-like shape with an added stroke.

Meaning mnemonic

The left stroke 丿 looks like a brush dipping into red ink, and the right side 未 resembles a tree. Imagine a tree whose sap is bright vermilion red.

Reading mnemonic

For シュ, imagine a shoe dipped in vermilion paint: shoe -> シュ, and the red color stains the shoe.