1.
crimson; deep red; scarlet
A vivid, deep red color. Originally referred to the dye extracted from safflower (紅花). A literary and poetic word for red.
紅に染まる。
To be dyed crimson.
夕焼けが空を紅に染め���。
The sunset dyed the sky crimson.
秋になると、山の木々が紅に色づき、美しい風景が広がる。
In autumn, the mountain trees turn crimson, creating a beautiful landscape.
A literary and elegant word for a deep, vivid red. The character 紅 can also be read as べに (lipstick, rouge) — a separate entry — but くれない specifically refers to the color itself with a poetic nuance.
ETYMOLOGY:
Derived from the dye produced from 紅花 (safflower), which was historically imported via China. The word くれない is thought to come from 呉の藍 (indigo/dye from the kingdom of Wu), referring to the Chinese origin of the dyeing technique.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 紅に染まる: to turn crimson
- 紅に色づく: to take on a crimson hue
- 紅の涙: crimson tears (literary)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 赤: red — the everyday, general-purpose word for red
- べに (紅): rouge, lipstick — the cosmetic reading of the same character
- 緋: scarlet — a brighter, more orange-tinged red