赤
aka[a̠ka̠]
赤 (aka) is the Japanese word for the colour red.
The word is used to refer to the colour red itself. In a political context, the katakana form アカ can be used as slang to refer to someone with left-wing, socialist or communist leanings.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use the noun form 赤 when referring to the colour itself. Use the adjective form 赤い when you are modifying a noun directly to describe it. The katakana form アカ is specifically used to denote political affiliations.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use red as an adjective to describe a noun, you must use the form 赤い.
How do you pronounce it?
aka
Did you know?
- The Japanese word for 'baby' is 赤ちゃん, which literally translates to 'small red one'. This refers to the reddish skin tone of newborns.
- In Japanese, the word 赤 can refer to both 'red' and 'bright'. In ancient times, the word was used to describe things that were luminous or vivid regardless of their hue.
- The phrase 赤裸々 (akrarara) uses the word 赤 to mean 'naked' or 'completely exposed'. It is often used metaphorically to describe a 'stark' or 'candid' confession.
Examples in context
- 顔が赤いよ。Your face is red.This sentence shows the use of 赤.Tatoeba #183646 by bunbuku, translation #20768 by CK
- 私の耳、赤い？Are my ears red?Tatoeba #8705960 by bunbuku, translation #3170753 by CK
- リンゴは赤い。Apples are red.Tatoeba #10667328 by YT, translation #430055 by witbrock
- 329 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Youta and Yui are looking at a store window.
- 陽太 Yotaあの赤いバッグ、可愛いね。Ano akai baggu, kawaii ne.That red bag is cute, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yui本当だ。赤がとても綺麗だよ。Hontou da. Aka ga totemo kirei da yo.You're right. The red is very beautiful.
- 陽太 Yota結衣は、赤が好き？Yui wa, aka ga suki?Yui, do you like red?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、大好きだよ。Un, daisuki da yo.Yes, I love it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “red” translations and entries 赤, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
