кра́сный
krásnyj
The English word "red" is translated into Russian as кра́сный (krásnyj).
In a political context, кра́сный is used to denote left-wing, socialist or communist affiliations.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Which one should you use?
While кра́сный is the general word for red, а́лый specifically refers to a bright, vivid scarlet or crimson shade.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. Use кра́сная for feminine nouns and кра́сное for neuter nouns. Use кра́сными for plural nouns in the instrumental case or кра́сные for the nominative plural.
How do you pronounce it?
krásnyj
Did you know?
- In old Russian, кра́сный did not mean 'red' but rather 'beautiful'. This is why the center of Moscow is still called Кра́сная площадь, which translates to 'Beautiful Square' rather than 'Red Square'.
- A Russian speaker might use the word кра́сный to describe a 'red corner' (кра́сный угол) in a traditional house, which is actually the most honored, sacred space for icons and not a literal color-coded area.
- The Russian word for 'red' is etymologically linked to the Proto-Indo-European root for 'bright' or 'shining', which explains why it was used to describe both color and beauty.
Examples in context
- Моя новая рубашка красная.My new shirt is red.
- Она стала краснеть от смущения.She started blushing out of embarrassment.
- У меня есть красное яблоко.I have a red apple.
- Он носит красные штаны.He wears red pants.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “red” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
