Chinese word

染料

Pronunciation

Pinyinrǎn liào

Meaning

  • noundye

Example

这件衣服的颜色是用天然染料染成的。zhè jiàn yī fú de yán sè shì yòng tiān rán rǎn liào rǎn chéng de

This garment is dyed with natural dye.

Illustration for 染料 (dye)

More examples

这种衣料的鲜艳颜色多半来自合成染料。zhè zhǒng yī liào de xiān yàn yán sè duō bàn lái zì hé chéng rǎn liào

The bright color of this fabric mostly comes from synthetic dye.

Core concept

A substance that enters a material and gives it a lasting color, usually as a liquid or powder.

Common phrases

  • 天然染料tiān rán rǎn liào

    natural dye

  • 合成染料hé chéng rǎn liào

    synthetic dye

  • 用染料染色yòng rǎn liào rǎn sè

    color with dye

Similar words

颜料yán liào: A colored powder or granulated substance used in paint and applied to a surface.
色素sè sù: A substance in an object or food that produces its color.

Definition in Chinese

用于给物体着色的物质，指用来染色纺织品、皮革、纸张等的液体或粉末。yòng yú gěi wù tǐ zhuó sè de wù zhì zhǐ yòng lái rǎn sè fǎng zhī pǐn pí gé zhǐ zhāng děng de yè tǐ huò fěn mò

Word origin

染 (rǎn, "to dye") + 料 (liào, "material") combines the action of putting in color with the substance used for that purpose.

Usage tips

  • English-speaking learners can distinguish this material from paint: a dye generally becomes part of cloth, leather, or paper, while paint usually forms a layer on the surface.

Other meanings

  • colorantnoun

Opposites

  • 漂白剂piǎo bái jìbleachnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word