染 (rǎn) - To dye & to stain

染Tone 3

rǎn ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

情仁

染 · rǎn

To dye;

to stain;

to catch (a disease);

to acquire (a habit);

to be contaminated.

To dyeto stainto catch (a disease)

Usage highlights

To dyeDyeing and finishingTo catch a diseaseTo be contaminatedDyeing workshopDyestuff

Synonyms

  • 涂— to paint, to smear
  • 沾— to be stained with, to be contaminated
  • 传— to transmit, to infect

Antonyms

  • 洗— to wash, to cleanse
  • 净— clean, pure
  • 褪— to fade, to discolor

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She dyed her hair red (染红头发).
  • The fabric is easy to dye (这种布料容易染色).
  • He caught a cold (他染上了感冒).
  • Children easily pick up bad habits (孩子容易染上坏习惯).

Collocations

  • To dye(染色)
  • Dyeing and finishing(染整)
  • To catch a disease(染病)
  • To be contaminated(污染)
  • Dyeing workshop(染坊)
  • Dyestuff(染料)

Idioms

  • Dyed in the wool, ingrained(染丝之变)
  • One's hands are stained with blood(血染双手)
  • To be contaminated by bad company(耳濡目染)
  • To be dyed beyond recognition(染苍染黄)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 染 depicts the process of dyeing fabric in water (氵) with dyes from plants (木) through repeated dipping (九).
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, 'catching a disease' is metaphorically described as 'being dyed' or 'stained' by pathogenic factors.
  • The character carries both positive (artistic dyeing) and negative (contamination, disease) connotations.

FAQ