紅

Originally referred to red-dyed silk or thread, later extended to denote the general color red.

In extended sense: fame, prosperity, celebration, or political “redness.”

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

糸 (실 사) — semantic component, indicating thread or silk, hence association with dyed fabric.

工 (장인 공) — phonetic component, providing the sound gōng / hong.

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字), Xu Shen defines:

「紅，絳也。从糸工聲。」

“紅 means deep red (絳); composed of 糸 (silk) and the sound 工.”

Thus, the character’s earliest sense was dyed red silk thread, not the abstract notion of color itself.

Its use broadened during the late Zhou and Han periods to denote the color red in general, symbolizing brightness, joy, and festivity.

紅 (붉을) — red; crimson

紅色 (홍색) — the color red

紅玉 (홍옥) — ruby, red jade

紅茶 (홍차) — black tea (lit. red tea)

紅花 (홍화) — safflower; red flower

紅塵 (홍진) — the dusty red world; worldly life

紅顔 (홍안) — youthful complexion

紅軍 (홍군) — Red Army

革命紅 (혁명홍) — revolutionary red

紅燭 (홍촉) — red candle (symbol of marriage)

紅蓮 (홍련) — red lotus

In ancient China, red (紅) symbolized life, vitality, and auspicious joy. It was associated with the south, fire, and the season of summer according to the Five Elements (五行) system.

The Book of Rites (禮記·月令) notes:

「其色赤。」— “Its color is red,” referring to the southern direction and summer month.

While 赤 (적) also means “red,” it tends to denote raw or primary red, the natural pigment of blood or earth; 紅, on the other hand, developed connotations of refined or cultivated red — the hue of dyed silk, human adornment, and festivity.

Hence, in Korean and Chinese contexts:

赤 — primal red, natural, earthy (e.g., 赤土 “red clay,” 赤心 “sincere heart”).

紅 — cultural red, ornamental, joyful (e.g., 紅花 “safflower,” 紅燭 “wedding candle”).

In Chinese cultural symbolism, 紅 became the dominant color of happiness and success — used in weddings, festivals, and political imagery.

In the modern era, it also came to symbolize revolution and socialism, giving rise to expressions such as 紅旗 (“red flag”) and 紅軍 (“Red Army”).

In Japanese, 紅 (べに / くれない) retains its older poetic sense of “crimson” or “deep red.” In compounds like 紅葉 (もみじ), it refers to the red leaves of autumn.

Thus, 紅 embodies both the aesthetic and cultural essence of red — from dyed silk and youth’s blush to the banner of joy and passion.