färben
to dye
To change the color of something using a dye or color.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat sich die Haare rot gefärbt.
She dyed her hair red.
färben
to dye / color
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Meanings
sich färben
to turn
To change color naturally.
EXAMPLE
Im Herbst färben sich die Blätter der Bäume bunt.
In autumn, the leaves of the trees turn colorful.
sich färben
to flush
Specifically of the face: to turn red, usually from embarrassment, shame, or excitement.
EXAMPLE
Ihre Wangen färbten sich, als er ihr ein Kompliment machte.
Her cheeks flushed when he gave her a compliment.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'färben' (to dye/color) belongs to the word family of 'die Farbe' (color). It literally means to give color to something.
EXAMPLE
Zu Ostern färben wir immer die Eier.
We always dye eggs at Easter.
Transitive vs. reflexive
When a person actively dyes something, the verb is used transitively: 'jemand färbt etwas' (someone dyes something). When something changes its color by itself, it is used reflexively: 'etwas färbt sich' (something changes color).
EXAMPLE
Ich färbe mein altes T-Shirt schwarz.
I am dyeing my old T-shirt black.
Dative construction
When you dye something on your own body, a dative pronoun is often added to make the connection to the person clear. The most common form is 'sich (Dat.) die Haare (Acc.) färben' (to dye one's hair).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mir die Haare blond gefärbt.
I dyed my hair blond.
Typical subjects
When something changes color naturally, the subjects are often parts of nature. Typical examples are 'die Blätter' (the leaves), 'der Himmel' (the sky), or 'die Wolken' (the clouds).
EXAMPLE
Die Blätter an den Bäumen haben sich schon gelb gefärbt.
The leaves on the trees have already turned yellow.
Context: emotions
This reflexive meaning refers almost exclusively to a person's face or cheeks turning red from embarrassment, shame, or joy.
EXAMPLE
Sein Gesicht färbte sich rot, als alle über seinen Witz lachten.
His face turned red when everyone laughed at his joke.
Compare with
färben vs streichen
to paint / to cancel
Streichen refers to covering a surface with paint, especially a wall. Färben has a more general meaning: changing the color of a material with a dye. So streichen is appropriate for painting a surface, while färben is usually used for fabric or hair.
färben
Mia färbt den Stoff für die Vorhänge blau.
Mia is dyeing the fabric for the curtains blue.
streichen
Mia streicht die Wand im Schlafzimmer blau.
Mia is painting the bedroom wall blue.
In real life
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