真っ赤・まっ赤・真赤|まっかmakka[3]odaka (tail-high)
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Which spelling to use
真っ赤真っ赤（まっか） is the most common spelling and the best choice for beginners; it combines kanji and kana.
まっ赤まっ赤 is a less common mixed kanji-and-kana variant of 真っ赤. Beginners should generally use 真っ赤 instead.
真赤真赤 is less common than the other two spellings and uses kanji only, with irregular okurigana; recognize it but do not choose it as a beginner.
Definitions
- na-adjective, nounbright red; deep red; flushed (of face)
- na-adjectivedownright (e.g. lie); complete; utterそいつは真っ赤なうそだ。↗That's a blessed lie.
Conjugation
| Plain form | 真っ赤（まっか） |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | 真っ赤です（まっかです） |
| Negative (dewa nai) | 真っ赤ではない（まっかではない） |
| polite (dewa arimasen) | 真っ赤ではありません（まっかではありません） |
| Past (datta) | 真っ赤だった（まっかだった） |
| Past negative (dewa nakatta) | 真っ赤ではなかった（まっかではなかった） |
| Te form (de) | 真っ赤で（まっかで） |
| Adverbial (ni) | 真っ赤に（まっかに） |
| Conditional (nara) | 真っ赤なら（まっかなら） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym赤いあかいNeutralThe plain, all-purpose adjective for red, neutral in register. 「真っ赤」 stresses pure, flushed red and can also mean downright or utter, as in 「真っ赤な嘘」.
- Antonym真っ青まっさおNeutralDeep blue, or (of a face) ghastly pale — the opposite of a face flushing 「真っ赤」. Neutral in register.
Say 「赤い」 for red in general. Use 「真っ赤」 to stress a deep, flushed red or something downright, as in 「真っ赤な嘘」 (e.g. 「顔が真っ赤」); for a pale face, 「真っ青」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
