dye / coloring
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dye / coloring
A substance used to color materials such as textiles, foods, plastics, or paper. Dyes and colorings can be natural or synthetic.
In vielen Süßigkeiten werden künstliche Farbstoffe verwendet, um sie bunter zu machen.
Artificial colorings are used in many sweets to make them more colorful.
'Farbstoff' (dye/coloring) is a compound noun made up of 'Farbe' (color) and 'Stoff' (substance/material). Here, 'Stoff' should be understood in the sense of 'substance' or 'material'. So it is literally a substance that gives color.
Dieser natürliche Farbstoff wird aus Pflanzen gewonnen.
This natural dye is extracted from plants.
People often distinguish between 'natürlichen Farbstoffen' (natural dyes/colorings) and 'künstlichen Farbstoffen' (artificial dyes/colorings). Common verbs in this context are 'Farbstoffe enthalten' (to contain dyes/colorings), 'Farbstoffe verwenden' (to use dyes/colorings), or 'Farbstoffe zusetzen' (to add dyes/colorings).
Dem Joghurt wurden keine künstlichen Farbstoffe zugesetzt.
No artificial colorings were added to the yogurt.
The word is often used in specific technical contexts, for example in the food industry, the textile sector, or chemistry.
Der Farbstoff E120 wird aus Läusen gewonnen und für rote Lebensmittel verwendet.
The coloring E120 is obtained from scale insects and used for red foods.
color / paint
'die Farbe' and 'der Farbstoff' can both have to do with coloring. 'Farbe' can mean the visible impression, such as red or yellow, or also a material used for painting. 'Farbstoff' more precisely means a substance that colors a material, for example in clothing, food, or paper. Learners may confuse the words because a dye or coloring gives something color. But 'Farbstoff' is more the coloring substance, while 'Farbe' is much more general and also describes the result.
In diesem Saft ist ein natürlicher Farbstoff aus roten Beeren.
This juice contains a natural coloring from red berries.
Am Morgen wirkt die Farbe des Sees besonders schön.
In the morning, the color of the lake looks especially beautiful.