Red Surprises

Colours pop up in unexpected places in language sometimes. Here are a few examples of things that in Japanese are red – although you might not see it at first.

赤ちゃん（akachan）– baby

The word baby in Japanese is literally just ‘red’ + diminutive suffix, a short ending that makes the word lovelier, cuter. Put differently, baby is a “small, cute red”. Why? Most probably because of the reddish colour of small babies’ skin.

赤の他人（aka no tanin）– a complete stranger

他人 tanin in Japanese means stranger. When the stranger is red, it intensifies the word, makes it ‘a completely unknown stranger’. Red has the connotation of something very clear, total, so – like here – it is also used to strengthen the meaning of other words.

赤飯（sekihan）– red rice

Although rice in Japan is most usually white, this time it’s red. By adding azuki beans, the glutinous rice takes over some of its hue, and we get a red dish. It is usually eaten on special occasions, such as birthdays, weddings and some holidays. Also – now less often than in the past – it has been served to a girl in celebration of her first menstruation.

Written by AL