Japanese symbol for “dye”
染める
そめる
Romaji: someru
to dye; to colour; to color
In Japanese, dye is 染める, read そめる (someru).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v1, vt to dye; to colour; to color
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “dye”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 染料 | せんりょう senryou | dye; dyestuff; coloring agent |
| 染め出す | そめだす somedasu | to dye |
| 差す | さす sasu | to put on (lipstick, etc.); to apply; to colour |
| 付く | つく tsuku | to remain imprinted; to scar; to stain |
| 染め付ける | そめつける sometsukeru | to dye (in patterns) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 感染 | かんせん kansen | infection; contagion; becoming infected |
| 汚染 | おせん osen | pollution; contamination |
| 染色 | せんしょく senshoku | dyeing |
| 伝染 | でんせん densen | contagion; infection |
| 染め | そめ some | dyeing; printing |
See also: Chinese symbol for “dye”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.