1.
to be dyed; to be colored
For something to take on color from dye or its surroundings.
山が紅葉で赤く染まった。
The mountains were dyed red with autumn leaves.
空が夕焼け色に染まっている。
The sky is tinged with the colors of sunset.
白い布が赤く染まった。
The white cloth was dyed red.
2.
to be tainted; to be influenced
To be negatively influenced by an environment or bad company.
悪い習慣に染まってしまった。
He became tainted by bad habits.
都会の生活に染まって田舎に戻れなくなった。
Having been influenced by city life, I can no longer go back to the countryside.
彼はすっかり悪に染まってしまった。
He has been completely corrupted by evil.
染まる is an intransitive verb (自動詞) meaning to be dyed or influenced.
TRANSITIVE PAIR: 染める (to dye)
- 染まる: The cloth is dyed.
- 染める: I dye the cloth.
ASPECT (ている):
染まっている indicates something has been dyed/tainted and remains so.
PARTICLE PATTERNS:
- [thing]が[color]に染まる — [thing] is dyed [color]
- [person]が[influence]に染まる — [person] is tainted by [influence]
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 赤く染まる (be dyed red)
- 血に染まる (be stained with blood)
- 都会に染まる (be corrupted by city life)
- 悪に染まる (be tainted by evil)
FIGURATIVE USE:
The "tainted by bad influence" meaning is common, implying someone has become corrupted or changed negatively by their environment.