赤あか色いろ

also: せきしょく

あ

か

い

ろ

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

red; red color

General term for the color red; can be used as a noun or adjectivally with の. The reading あかいろ is more casual, while せきしょく appears in formal or technical contexts.

赤あか色いろのペンで名な前まえを書かいてください

。

Please write your name with a red pen.

信しん号ごうが赤あか色いろに変かわった。

The traffic light turned red.

2

noun-modifying (irregular)

communist; socialist; left-wing

Only with reading せきしょく

Prenominal use (adj-f) with the reading せきしょく, referring to communist or leftist ideology. Often seen in political contexts.

彼かれは赤せき色しょく政せい権けんを批ひ判はんした。
He criticized the communist regime.
赤せき色しょくテロが社しゃ会かい問もん題だいになった。
Red terror became a social issue.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を赤あか色いろに染そめるto dye something red
紅こう葉ようが山やまを赤あか色いろに染そめた。
The autumn leaves dyed the mountain red.
〈物もの〉が赤あか色いろに変かわるfor something to change/turn red
信しん号ごうが赤あか色いろに変かわったので車くるまを止とめた。
The light turned red, so I stopped the car.

Kanji

赤red
色color

Related words

赤あかN5sense 1
赤 is the plain, everyday word for red, while 赤色 sounds more formal or technical and is the form used in scientific or political contexts.
紅べに色いろ sense 1
紅色 names a deep crimson shade, whereas 赤色 covers red in general without specifying such a deep tone.

Word family

金きん赤あか色いろ
bronze-red

Built from

赤あか+色いろ

Written forms

赤色Usage100%
- せきしょく
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading せきしょく is more common in news and formal contexts.
- あかいろ
  Alternate reading, more colloquial and everyday; often used for the color red in daily life.

Etymology

Compound of 赤 (red) and 色 (color). The reading せきしょく is the on'yomi, used in formal and political contexts; あかいろ is the kun'yomi, used in everyday language.

せきしょく