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March 24, 2026
红(紅)hóng(Hong2)
The character 红 (hóng) primarily means 'red,' a color often associated with happiness, good fortune, and celebration in Chinese culture. It can also refer to something being popular or in vogue, as well as indicating a revolutionary spirit. This character appears frequently in contexts like festivals, decorations, and political slogans.
Strokes6Radical纟Frequency#1023DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, red symbolizes good luck and is prominently featured in celebrations like the Lunar New Year, where red decorations are believed to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity.
Memory Tip
Imagine a big, bright red apple (红) that is so popular everyone wants to eat it. The shape of the apple can remind you of the rounded form of the character, and the vibrant color links to its meaning of 'red'. Think of 'hóng' as the sound of laughter when a popular apple is shared among friends.
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AI Study Notes for 红
Quick Contrast
红 (hóng) vs 玫 (méi) — use 红 for the color red, while 玫 specifically refers to rose color.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include confusing 红 with 绿 (lǜ), which means 'green.' Remember, 红 is used in contexts of celebration, like 红包 (hóngbāo, 'red envelope') for gifts. This character is informal and often used in casual conversations about preferences or trends.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 2 word, 红 connects to basic color vocabulary and is foundational for describing objects, feelings, and trends. Students should practice using it in sentences about clothing, decorations, and personal favorites to reinforce learning.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 红 with 朱 (zhū), which is a darker shade of red. For example, saying '我喜欢朱色的衣服' (wǒ xǐhuān zhūsè de yīfú) instead of '我喜欢红色的衣服' (wǒ xǐhuān hóngsè de yīfú) is incorrect when referring to bright red clothing.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 红
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Etymology of 红
Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声å—)~80-90% of characters
Explanation
Simplified form of 紅. Phonosemantic compound. 糹 represents the meaning and 工 represents the sound.
红 = 纟 + 工. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 红
IDS Structure⿰纟工
红Full Character
=
纟si1
left
工gong1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 红?
How to say red in Chinese
“red” in Chinese is红hóng
The character 红 (hóng) primarily means 'red,' a color often associated with happiness, good fortune, and celebration in Chinese culture. It can also refer to something being popular or in vogue, as well as indicating a revolutionary spirit. This character appears frequently in contexts like festivals, decorations, and political slogans.
When to use 红
Common mistakes include confusing 红 with 绿 (lǜ), which means 'green.' Remember, 红 is used in contexts of celebration, like 红包 (hóngbāo, 'red envelope') for gifts. This character is informal and often used in casual conversations about preferences or trends.
红 or something close to it
红 (hóng) vs 玫 (méi) — use 红 for the color red, while 玫 specifically refers to rose color.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 红 with 朱 (zhū), which is a darker shade of red. For example, saying '我喜欢朱色的衣服' (wǒ xǐhuān zhūsè de yīfú) instead of '我喜欢红色的衣服' (wǒ xǐhuān hóngsè de yīfú) is incorrect when referring to bright red clothing.
Write 红
红
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Grammar Patterns of 红
红 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
