朱 — “Vermilion / Cinnabar / Scarlet / Red” in Japanese

Master (高手)しゅ, あけ

Radical ⽊ · radical 75 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Vermilion / Cinnabar / Scarlet / Red” in Japanese is 朱, read shu, ake (しゅ, あけ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 朱色 (vermilion).

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What does 朱 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	朱
Meaning	Vermilion / Cinnabar / Scarlet / Red
Readings	しゅ, あけ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	朱色 (vermilion)

How to read 朱

朱 is read shu (しゅ) or ake (あけ) depending on the word.

Words with 朱

朱色

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Kanji read the same way as 朱

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28