1.
crimson; deep red; the red of safflower dye (beni)
A warm, vivid red with slight orange undertones — the traditional color of 紅 ('rouge'), made from safflower petals and long used as a dye, lipstick, and pigment. Associated with Japanese aesthetic tradition, kimono, and the ink used on hanging scrolls and seals.
Compound of 紅 ('rouge; safflower dye; deep red') and 色 ('color'). The 紅 was historically produced from safflower petals (紅花) and used as a cosmetic and dye since ancient times, so 紅色 evokes a traditional, slightly warm red rather than a pure primary red.
Usage
Used as both a noun (紅色の〜 = 'crimson ~') and with の to modify other nouns. More evocative than 赤 ('red'); often chosen for poetic, literary, or aesthetically refined descriptions — autumn leaves, sunsets, kimono, flowers, lips.
Common collocations
- 紅色の花: a crimson flower
- 紅色に染まる: to be dyed crimson
- 紅色の紅葉: crimson autumn leaves
- 紅色の口紅: crimson lipstick
- 鮮やかな紅色: a vivid crimson
Similar words
- 赤: red — the basic color term, covers a wide range
- 真っ赤: bright/deep red — vivid but not necessarily warm
- 朱色: vermillion; cinnabar red — more orange, used for torii gates and seals
- 茜色: madder red — deep red of sunset, literary
- 臙脂: dark red; wine red — darker and more subdued than 紅色
Cultural note
紅 has a rich cultural history in Japan. Traditional cosmetics (紅 lipstick), dyed kimono fabric, and ink for personal seals (朱肉) all draw on red tones. 紅白 ('red and white') is a culturally significant color pair used for celebrations.
Related Words
Compare:
赤 (red)
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真っ赤 (bright/deep red)
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朱色 (vermillion)
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茜色 (madder red)
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緋色 (scarlet)