茜 Rose Madder

Radical Combination

• 艹

  Flowers
• 西

  West

Meaning

Primary

Rose Madder

Alternative

Deep Red

Mnemonic

What kind of flowers grow in the west? Rose madder flowers, of course. Don't know what those are? That's okay. Just know their roots are used to make dyes of a deep red color. Red like the rose in their name, but madder, wilder, deeper… And they grow in the west so they can take in those deep red colors of the setting sun.

Hints

Picture yourself sitting in the west as the red sun sets, smashing those little rose madder roots into a paste to make your deep red dyes. Your fingers turn red from the rose madder too.

Readings

On’yomi

せん

Kun’yomi

あかね

Nanori

None

Mnemonic

As you smash the roots of the rose madder and stain your fingers a deep red, a little girl comes up to you and points. She says, "赤ね (あかね)?" (That's red, right?) You look down at the rose madder roots and your fingers, and nod. She's right, it is red. Deep red.

Hints

Hear the little girl say あかね while pointing at the rose madder and your deep red fingers. She's right. And the way she says it is so darn cute.