Dust is a crucial component of galaxies in modifying the observed properties of galaxies. Previous studies have suggested that dust reddening in star-forming galaxies is correlated with star formation rate (SFR), luminosity, gas-phase metallicity (Z), stellar mass (M*) and inclination. In this work we investigate the fundamental relations between dust reddening and physical properties of galaxies, and obtain a well-defined empirical recipe for dust reddening. The empirical formulae can be incorporated into semi-analytical models of galaxy formation and evolution to estimate the dust reddening and facilitate comparison with observations.