Meaning of 红
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- red
- popular
- revolutionary
- bonus
- surname Hong
- used in 女紅|女红[nu : 3 gong1]
How to use 红
红 means red, and it also means popular or famous, as in 他现在很红 (tā xiànzài hěn hóng), "He is really popular now." It appears in many everyday words like 红包 (hóngbāo), 红酒 (hóngjiǔ), and 西红柿 (xīhóngshì).
红 combines the silk radical 纟 on the left with 工 (gōng) on the right. Picture silk thread being worked and dyed a bright red, and let 工 remind you that the old reading gōng still survives in 女红.
Common mistake: Learners often assume 红茶 (hóngchá) means red tea, but it is what English calls black tea. Also do not confuse 红 with 江 (jiāng, river), which has the water radical 氵 instead of the silk radical 纟.
红 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
红 hóng · red · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 红.
| 红色 | hóngsè | red (color); revolutionary |
| 红酒 | hóngjiǔ | red wine |
| 红茶 | hóngchá | black tea |
| 红包 | hóngbāo | money wrapped in red as a gift; bonus payment |
| 西红柿 | xīhóngshì | tomato |
| 通红 | tōnghóng | very red; red through and through |
| 红灯 | hóngdēng | red light |
| 分红 | fēnhóng | dividend; to award a bonus |
| 眼红 | yǎnhóng | to covet; envious |
| 红火 | hónghuo | prosperous |
| 红润 | hóngrùn | ruddy; rosy |
| 红薯 | hóngshǔ | sweet potato |
Questions about 红
What does 红 mean?
红 (hóng) means "red; popular" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 红?
红 is made of 1 character: 红 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 红 an HSK word?
Yes. 红 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 红 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 红 is written 紅.
Why is a 红包 given at Chinese New Year?
Red is linked with luck and celebration, so money for holidays, weddings, and birthdays is put in a red envelope called a 红包 (hóngbāo). At work, 红包 can also mean a bonus payment.
How do you say someone's face turned red?
You can say 脸红了 (liǎn hóng le), which means someone blushed. For a stronger effect, use 通红 (tōnghóng), as in 脸通红 (liǎn tōnghóng), "face bright red."