How to Write 红 (hóng) — Meaning “red”

Think of a red silk thread (纟) being used to tie up a worker (工) who is blushing red with embarrassment. The left side looks like twisted thread, and the right side is like a simple tool – together they spell 'red.'

Write the left radical 纟 first with three strokes: a small horizontal, then a left-falling and a horizontal line. Then on the right write 工 as two horizontal lines and a vertical line. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide or forgetting the small hook on the last stroke of 纟.

红 means 'red' while 纠 means 'to correct' or 'entangle' and 纡 means 'to twist' or '迂回(roundabout)'. Visually, 红 has 工 on the right, 纠 has 丩 (a twisted stem), and 纡 has 于 (a simple cross). Their meanings are completely unrelated despite sharing the silk radical.

红 is very common: 红色 means 'red color', 红茶 means 'black tea' (named for the red-brown liquid), and 走红 means 'to become popular'. In Chinese culture, red symbolizes luck and happiness, so it appears in festivals, weddings, and celebratory decor like red envelopes (红包).

Common words containing 红 include: 红色 (hóng sè) — red color; 红茶 (hóng chá) — Black tea; 走红 (zǒu hóng) — To become popular; to go viral..