赤 — “red” in Japanese

Grade 1せき, しゃく, あか

Radical ⾚ · radical 155 The building block this kanji is filed under

“red” in Japanese is 赤, read seki, shaku, aka (せき, しゃく, あか). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 赤ちゃん (baby).

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What does 赤 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	赤
Meaning	red
Readings	せき, しゃく, あか
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	赤ちゃん (baby)

How to read 赤

赤 is read seki (せき) or shaku (しゃく) or aka (あか) depending on the word.

Words with 赤

赤色あかいろ
赤ん坊
赤ちゃんred

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Kanji read the same way as 赤

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28