毛髪染料
mōhatsu senryō
The English phrase 'hair dye' is hair dye in Japanese, commonly expressed as 毛髪染料 (mōhatsu senryō). Wiktionary also lists 毛染め (kezome) and ヘアダイ (headai).
Meaning: any of various materials used to dye hair on the head (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 毛髪染料 | mōhatsu senryō |
| 毛染め | kezome |
| ヘアダイ | headai |
This term refers to any of various materials used to dye hair on the head.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 毛髪染料 (mōhatsu senryō) is composed of 毛髪 (mōhatsu) meaning 'hair' and 染料 (senryō) meaning 'dye/coloring agent'.
Which one should you use?
毛髪染料 (mōhatsu senryō) is a technical or formal term used in manufacturing or medical contexts, whereas 毛染め (kezome) is the common everyday term. The katakana loanword ヘアダイ is also a way to say hair dye.
How do you pronounce it?
mōhatsu senryō
Did you know?
- In Japanese society, the use of ヘアダイ or flashy colors is often strictly regulated by school and company 'dress codes' known as 校則 (kōsoku) or 社則 (shasoku).
- The kanji 染 in 毛染め can also be used in the phrase 染まる (somaru) to describe someone who has been 'dyed' or influenced by a bad crowd.
- Japanese law allows for the sale of 'quasi-drugs' 医薬部外品 (iyaku bugaihin), a category that includes many types of 毛髪染料 that have specific medicinal properties beyond just coloring.
Example sentences for Japanese are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are at a drugstore.
- 健太 Kentaおすすめの毛髪染料はありますか？Osusume no mōhatsu senryō wa arimasu ka?Do you have any recommended hair dye?
- 美咲 Misakiこちらが一番人気ですよ、健太さん。Kochira ga ichiban ninki desu yo, Kenta-san.This one is the most popular, Kenta.
- 健太 Kenta色は自然に見えますか？Iro wa shizen ni miemasu ka?Does the color look natural?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、とても自然な色になります。Hai, totemo shizen na iro ni narimasu.Yes, it becomes a very natural color.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hair dye” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
