紅くれない

also: べに · こう

く

れ

な

い

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

noun

deep red; crimson

Refers to a vivid, deep red color, often with poetic or traditional connotations. Commonly read くれない in this sense.

彼かの女じょは紅くれないのドレスを着きていた。
She wore a deep red dress.
紅くれないに染そまった空そらが美うつくしい。
The sky dyed crimson is beautiful.

2

noun

rouge; lipstick

Only with reading べに

Specifically refers to cosmetic rouge or lipstick, read べに. Often used in compounds like 口紅 (くちべに, lipstick).

母ははは鏡かがみの前まえで紅べにをさしている。
My mother is applying lipstick in front of the mirror.

Written forms

紅Usage93%
- くれない
  Standard kanji spelling for the reading くれない, meaning deep red or crimson.
- べに
  Common reading for the rouge/lipstick sense; also used in compounds like 口紅 (くちべに).
- こう
  On-reading, mostly found in compounds such as 紅茶 (こうちゃ) or 紅葉 (こうよう). Rare as a standalone word.
ベニUsage5%
コウUsage1%
くれないUsage1%
べにUsage<1%
こう

Kanji

紅crimson, deep red

Similar words

赤あか
赤 is the general word for red, while 紅 (くれない) is a specific shade of deep, slightly purplish red, often used in literary or traditional contexts.
口くち紅べに
口紅 is the common modern word for lipstick, while 紅 (べに) alone can sound slightly old-fashioned or poetic when referring to lipstick.

Etymology

The kanji 紅 combines 糸 (thread) and 工 (work), originally referring to a red dye made from safflower. The reading くれない is of native origin, while べに is a shift from 紅 (くれない) and こう is the Sino-Japanese on-reading.