赤 — how to write the kanji for “red”

赤 (“red”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in first grade in Japan. KANJIDIC2 gives it 2 on readings and 5 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. On its own it is the word aka, “red; crimson”. Its native reading aka leads in its common words, as in 赤字 (“(being in) the red”) and 赤ちゃん (“baby”); read seki it forms 赤軍 (“Red Army…”). Chinese reads it chì, “red”, at HSK 7-9.

Strokes: 7
JLPT: N4
Radical: 赤 (“red”)
On: セキ, シャク
Kun: あか·らめる, あか, あか-

Stroke by stroke

Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
Vertical ㇑topdownwards
Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
Left-falling stroke ㇒centerdownwards
Vertical hook ㇚centerdownwards
Left-falling stroke ㇒leftdown and left
Dot ㇔rightdown and right

Japanese and Chinese

Japanese and Chinese draw all 7 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.

Japanese · KanjiVG · 7 strokes

Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 7 strokes

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Readings

On (Chinese-derived): セキ seki, シャク shaku (rare)
Kun (native): あか·らめる aka-rameru, あか aka (rare), あか- aka- (rare), あか·い aka-i (rare), あか·らむ aka-ramu (rare)
Meanings: red
Read aka: 赤字赤ちゃん赤松赤ん坊赤い赤旗
Read seki: 赤軍赤外線赤道
School year: first grade
Newspaper rank: 584th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
Korean hanja: 적 jeok
Common words: 15 in JMdict

On and kun, explained

Words with 赤

Word	Reading	Meaning
赤字	あかじ akaji	(being in) the red; deficit
赤ちゃん	あかちゃん akachan	baby; infant
赤松	あかまつ akamatsu	Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora); Japanese umbrella pine
真っ赤	まっか makka	bright red; deep red
赤軍	せきぐん sekigun	Red Army (Soviet Union, 1918-1946); Workers' and Peasants' Red…
赤ん坊	あかんぼう akanbou	baby; infant
赤い	あかい akai	red; crimson
赤外線	せきがいせん sekigaisen	infrared rays; infrared radiation
赤旗	あかはた akahata	red flag; Red Flag (Communist Party newspaper)
赤道	せきどう sekidou	equator; (celestial) equator

Most common first (JMdict).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Same parts:

JLPT N4, in list order: