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.
I dyed my hair brown.
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.
The cloth dyed beautifully.
Loanword from English 'coloring', often used specifically for hair dyeing, especially in salon contexts.
I got my hair colored at the salon.
Compound verb meaning 'to dye again' or 'to re-dye'.
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.
This dye is made from natural materials.
Dye powder, often used for home dyeing of clothes.
Hair dye product. Loanword from English.
Dye solution, often used in laboratory or industrial contexts.
We added the dye solution to the microscope sample.
Referring to the craft or technique of dyeing fabrics or other materials.
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.
She dyed her hair red.
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.
I want to dye my hair blonde.
This dye is very vibrant.
I bought some dye powder and dyed a T-shirt.
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.