Carmine is a dark red — not a bright tomato red, and not a soft pink. Think of a deep red that leans a little toward crimson, the sort of red you see in old paint, in lipstick that looks almost like blood, or in a dress that is trying to look rich rather than cheerful.

Carmine carmine is a dark red是一種暗紅色 — not a bright tomato red不是番茄那種鮮紅， and not a soft pink也不是柔和的粉紅。 Think of a deep red that leans a little toward crimson想成一種偏向深紅crimson的暗紅， the sort of red you see in old paint那種在老畫作裡看得到的紅， in lipstick that looks almost like blood在幾乎像血一樣的口紅裡， or in a dress that is trying to look rich rather than cheerful或在想顯得華貴而不是討喜的洋裝裡。

People use it as a colour word (carmine silk, a carmine sky in a painting) and as the name of the colouring itself.

People use it as a colour word人們把它當成顏色詞使用 (carmine silk, a carmine sky in a painting)（像carmine silk胭脂紅絲綢、畫裡的carmine sky胭脂紅天空）， and as the name of the colouring itself也用來指這種色素本身的名字。

Though actually, the colouring has a living story: the old red came from a tiny scale insect, the kind once called kermes, and the red many factories use now still comes from an insect, cochineal. So carmine in food or makeup is often a bug red, not a plant red.

Though actually不過， the colouring has a living story這種色素有個活生生的來歷： the old red came from a tiny scale insect以前的紅色來自一種很小的介殼蟲， the kind once called kermes就是曾經叫做kermes的那種， and the red many factories use now still comes from an insect, cochineal現在很多工廠用的紅色也還是來自一種昆蟲，胭脂蟲cochineal。 So carmine in food or makeup所以食品或化妝品裡的carmine is often a bug red, not a plant red常常是蟲紅，不是植物紅。

It is a rather careful, slightly fancy word. Everyday talk is more likely to say dark red or crimson; painters, makeup people, and labels on food colour still say carmine.

It is a rather careful, slightly fancy word這是個講究、有點花俏的字。 Everyday talk日常說法 is more likely to say dark red or crimson比較會說dark red或crimson； painters, makeup people, and labels on food colour畫家、化妝品業者，還有食品色素標籤 still say carmine還是會說carmine。