How to Say "to dye" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to dye” is “teñir” — B1 level.
Examples
Quiero teñir mi camiseta de azul.
I want to dye my t-shirt blue.
Ella se tiñe el pelo cada tres meses.
She dyes her hair every three months.
Es difícil teñir esta tela sintética.
It is difficult to dye this synthetic fabric.
The 'E to I' Swap
This verb changes the 'e' in its root to an 'i' when you stress it (like in 'tiño' or 'tiñe'), except in the 'we' and 'you all' forms.
The Disappearing 'I'
Because the letter 'ñ' already has a 'y' sound built-in, the extra 'i' that usually appears in past tense endings like -ieron disappears. It's 'tiñeron', not 'tiñieron'.
Teñir vs. Pintar
Mistake: “Voy a pintar mi ropa.”
Correction: Voy a teñir mi ropa. Use 'pintar' for applying paint to a surface (like a wall) and 'teñir' when the color soaks into a material (like fabric or hair).
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