färbt

Färbt is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb färben, meaning to dye or color something. The infinitive is färben; related nouns include Farbe (color) and Färbung (coloring). The basic present-tense forms are: ich färbe, du färbst, er färbt, wir färben, ihr färbt, sie färben. The past participle is gefärbt.

Färben is used transitively to apply color to material or surfaces. Examples: Ich färbe das Hemd blau. Sie färbt ihre Haare dunkelbraun. Reflexive forms are possible: Sie färbt sich die Haare blond. It can also describe the process of coloring or staining materials intentionally, such as textiles, paper, or wood. In some contexts, the action can be performed by a professional or by the subject themselves, as in hair coloring or fabric dyeing.

The verb distinguishes between intentional coloring and discoloration. Verfärben means to discolor or stain, often implying an undesired or incidental change, for example durch Sonnenlicht verfärbt sich der Stoff. The past participle gefärbt is used in compound tenses and as an adjective: ein gefärbter Stoff.

Etymology and cognates: färben is of Germanic origin and has cognates in other West Germanic languages, such as Dutch verven (to dye). The term appears in various compounds and phrases related to coloration, dyeing processes, and cosmetic hair coloring.

See also: Farbe, Färbung, Verfärbung.