German word

färben

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈfɛɐ̯bən/

Meaning

  • verbdye

Example

Ich färbe die Wolle rot.

I dye the wool red.

Illustration for färben (dye)

More examples

Zu Ostern färben wir die Eier bunt.

At Easter, we dye the eggs in bright colors.

Core concept

A material absorbs or takes on a different color, like wool changing from its natural shade to red.

Common phrases

  • Eier färben

    dye eggs

  • Kleider färben

    dye clothes

  • Wolle färben

    dye wool

Similar words

einfärben: To color the whole material uniformly in one shade.
tönen: To add a light tint that subtly changes the color or visual impression.
anmalen: To paint color onto an object's surface using a brush or roller.
streichen: To spread paint over a surface to provide color or a particular finish.

Definition in German

Etwas so behandeln, dass seine Fasern oder Oberflächenschichten eine neue Farbe erhalten.

Word origin

The verb färben comes from Farbe, an inherited Germanic noun whose older forms include Old High German farawa, meaning color.

Usage tips

  • For painting a wall or furniture, German usually uses streichen or anstreichen, while färben is typical for hair, textiles, and similar materials.

Other meanings

  • colorverb

Opposites

  • entfärbendecolorizeverb
  • ausbleichenfadeverb

Related words

  • Färbemitteldyenoun
  • die Färbereidyehousenoun

Word lists with this word