A kind of paint made by mixing coloured powder with something thick and sticky that dries hard — most often egg yolk, which is why you will also hear "egg tempera". Painters in Europe used it for hundreds of years before oil paint took over in about the 1400s, so most very old religious paintings on wooden boards are tempera. It dries fast and gives clear, bright, rather flat colour, and once dry it does not yellow the way old oil paint does.

A kind of paint一種顏料 made by mixing coloured powder是把有顏色的粉末混合 with something thick and sticky that dries hard跟某種濃稠、黏性、乾了會變硬的東西調出來的 — most often egg yolk最常見的就是蛋黃, which is why you will also hear這就是為什麼你也會聽到 "egg tempera"「egg tempera」（蛋彩）這個說法。Painters in Europe歐洲的畫家 used it使用它 for hundreds of years長達好幾百年 before oil paint took over直到油畫顏料取而代之 in about the 1400s大約在十五世紀左右, so most very old religious paintings on wooden boards所以大部分非常古老、畫在木板上的宗教畫 are tempera都是蛋彩畫。It dries fast它乾得快, and gives clear, bright, rather flat colour而且顏色清晰、鮮明、偏平面, and once dry而且一旦乾了 it does not yellow就不會像老油畫顏料那樣 the way old oil paint does泛黃。

The word also names the technique, not only the liquid: "painted in tempera". You will meet it in art class, in museums, and on the little labels beside paintings.

The word這個詞 also names也可以指 the technique這種繪畫技法, not only the liquid而不只是那種顏料本身: "painted in tempera"像「painted in tempera」（用蛋彩畫成）。in art class在美術課裡, in museums在博物館裡, and on the little labels beside paintings還有畫作旁邊的小標籤上, you will meet it你都會遇到這個詞。

School art shops also sell "tempera paint" for children, though that modern kind usually has no egg in it at all — the name stuck.

School art shops學校美術用品店 also sell也會賣 "tempera paint"「tempera paint」（兒童用蛋彩顏料） for children給小朋友用, though that modern kind不過那種現代版的 usually has no egg in it at all通常根本沒有加蛋 — the name stuck只是名字沿用下來了。