tingersi

Tingersi is an Italian pronominal verb meaning to dye oneself, most often used to refer to dyeing one’s hair, but it can also apply to coloring different parts of the body or objects in some contexts. The action is performed on the subject itself, which is expressed with reflexive pronouns (mi, ti, si, ci, vi).

Grammatical notes

Tingersi is built from the verb tingere (to dye) with the reflexive suffix. In the present tense the forms are: io mi tingo, tu ti tingi, lui/lei si tinge, noi ci tingiamo, voi vi tingete, loro si tingono. The imperfect is io mi tingevo, tu ti tingevi, lui si tingeva, noi ci tingevamo, voi tingevate, loro tingevano. The future is io mi tingerò, etc. The passé composé uses essere as auxiliary, with the participle agreeing in gender and number: io mi sono tinto/tinta, tu ti sei tinto/tinta, lui si è tinto/tinta, noi ci siamo tinti/tinte, voi vi siete tinti/tinte, loro si sono tinti/tinte. The past participle is tinto (masc) or tinta (fem).

Usage notes

Tingersi is primarily used for personal dyeing, especially of the hair: “Mi sono tinto i capelli”) or analogous body-related dyeing. It can also refer to dyeing clothes or surfaces, though non-reflexive tingere is more common in those cases. The reflexive form emphasizes that the subject performs the action on themselves.

Etymology

Tingersi derives from the Latin tingere, meaning to dye or color, with the standard Italian reflexive formation. The related adjective tintto/tinta and the noun tinta reflect the same root.

See also

Tingere, tint, dyeing, hair coloring.