(ひいろ)

ひいろ
noun
scarlet; bright red
1. scarlet; bright red; crimson
A vivid, bright shade of red. One of Japan's traditional colors, historically associated with nobility and high rank.
緋色(ひいろ)着物(きもの)
A scarlet kimono.
紅葉(もみじ)緋色(ひいろ)(いろ)づいた。
The autumn leaves turned scarlet.
緋色(ひいろ)(はかま)()にまとった巫女(みこ)境内(けいだい)(ある)いている。
A shrine maiden wearing scarlet hakama is walking through the shrine grounds.

A vivid bright red, one of Japan's traditional colors. The character () specifically refers to this shade of red and is rarely used outside of color descriptions.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 緋色(ひいろ)着物(きもの): scarlet kimono
  • 緋色(ひいろ)(はかま): scarlet hakama (worn by shrine maidens)
  • 緋色(ひいろ)()まる: to turn scarlet

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 茜色(あかねいろ): madder red — a warmer, more orange-tinged red
  • 朱色(しゅいろ): vermilion — a brighter, more orange shade
  • 紅色(べにいろ): crimson — a deeper, cooler red
  • ()(): bright red — everyday word for vivid red

CULTURAL CONTEXT:
In traditional Japan, 緋色(ひいろ) was associated with high social rank. The scarlet (はかま) worn by 巫女(みこ) (shrine maidens) is one of the most recognizable examples. The color also appears in the Japanese title of Arthur Conan Doyle's "A Study in Scarlet" (緋色(ひいろ)研究(けんきゅう)).