Translation guide
The English word 'dye' refers to a substance used to change the color of something, or the act of applying it. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 染める (someru) for the verb and 染料 (senryō) for the noun. However, the choice depends on what is being dyed (hair, fabric, etc.) and the context.
Expressing the action of applying dye to hair, fabric, or other materials.
General verb meaning 'to dye'. Used for hair, cloth, etc. Transitive verb.
髪を茶色に染めた。
I dyed my hair brown.
この布を青く染めたい。
I want to dye this cloth blue.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to be dyed' or 'to become colored'. Used when something takes on color by itself or without specifying the agent.
布がきれいに染まった。
The cloth dyed beautifully.
Loanword from English 'coloring', often used specifically for hair dyeing, especially in salon contexts.
美容院でカラーリングしてもらった。
I got my hair colored at the salon.
Compound verb meaning 'to dye again' or 'to re-dye'.
色が落ちたので染め直した。
The color faded, so I re-dyed it.
Referring to the dye itself, as a product or material.
General term for dye (substance). Used for fabric, industrial dyes, etc.
この染料は天然素材から作られている。
This dye is made from natural materials.
Dye powder, often used for home dyeing of clothes.
染め粉を買ってきて、Tシャツを染めた。
I bought some dye powder and dyed a T-shirt.
Hair dye product. Loanword from English.
Dye solution, often used in laboratory or industrial contexts.
染色液を顕微鏡のサンプルに加えた。
We added the dye solution to the microscope sample.
Referring to the craft or technique of dyeing fabrics or other materials.
Noun form of 染める, meaning 'dyeing'. Often used in compound words like 染め物 (dyed goods) or 染め上がり (result of dyeing).
染めの技術を学ぶ。
Learn the art of dyeing.
Formal term for dyeing or staining, often used in technical or artistic contexts.
染める is transitive (someone dyes something), while 染まる is intransitive (something becomes dyed). Use 染める when you are actively dyeing something, and 染まる when describing the result or a natural process.
彼女は髪を赤く染めた。
She dyed her hair red.
夕日で空が赤く染まった。
The sky was dyed red by the sunset.
When referring to hair dye products, 染料 (senryō) can sound technical. In everyday conversation, ヘアカラー or カラー剤 are more natural. For clothing dye, 染め粉 or simply 染料 are fine.
髪を金髪に染めたい。
I want to dye my hair blonde.
この染料はとても鮮やかだ。
This dye is very vibrant.
ドラッグストアでヘアカラーを買った。
I bought hair dye at the drugstore.
伝統的な染色方法を守っている。
They preserve traditional dyeing methods.