Japanese word

染まる

Pronunciation

Romajisomaru

Meaning

  • verbtake on color

Example

夕焼けで空が赤く染まります。yū ya ke de sora ga aka ku so ma ri ma su

The sky takes on a red color at sunset.

Illustration for 染まる (take on color)

More examples

祭りの会場は、赤い提灯の光で染まっていました。matsu ri no kai jō wa aka i chōchin no hikari de so ma tte i ma shi ta

The festival venue was bathed in the light of red lanterns.

Core concept

Describes something gradually taking on an outside color or influence.

Common phrases

  • 夕焼けに染まるyū ya ke ni so ma ru

    take on the colors of the sunset

  • 赤く染まるaka ku so ma ru

    turn red

  • 紅葉に染まるkō yō ni so ma ru

    take on autumn colors

Similar words

色づくirozuku: Gradually takes on color, often through a natural or seasonal change.

Definition in Japanese

外から加わった色が物や景色に移り、その色になること。また、周囲の考えや雰囲気に影響されて同じ傾向になること。soto ka ra kuwa wa tta iro ga mono ya keshiki ni utsu ri so no iro ni na ru ko to ma ta shū i no kanga e ya fun i ki ni ei kyō sa re te ona ji kei kō ni na ru ko to

Word origin

The native verbs 染まる (somaru, "to become colored") and 染める (someru, "to dye") form an intransitive and transitive pair, separating a change that occurs from an action that causes it.

Usage tips

  • The pattern X に染まる (X ni somaru) marks the color or influence that comes to fill something, as in a person becoming shaped by a group or environment.

Other meanings

  • be dyedverb
  • be stainedverb

Opposites

  • 色あせるiroaserufadeverb
  • 色落ちするiroochisurulose its colorverb

Related words

  • 染まり方somarikataway of taking on colornoun

Word lists with this word