Inklingo

How to Say "spotted" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “spotted” is “encontró” — use this when you successfully found something or someone you were actively searching for.

English → Spanish

encontró

VerbA1General
Use this when you successfully found something or someone you were actively searching for.

Examples

Mi hermana encontró sus llaves debajo del sofá.

My sister found her keys under the sofa.

manchado

man-CHA-dohmanˈtʃaðo

AdjectiveA2General
Use this to describe something that has marks, stains, or spots on its surface.
A white shirt with a large, dark brown coffee stain on the front.

Examples

Tu pantalón está manchado de barro.

Your pants are stained with mud.

El perro es blanco pero tiene el lomo manchado.

The dog is white but has a spotted back.

No uses ese mantel porque está todo manchado.

Don't use that tablecloth because it is all stained.

Matching the word it describes

Since this is an adjective, the ending must change to match the gender and number of the object: 'manchado' (masculine), 'manchada' (feminine), 'manchados' (plural masculine), and 'manchadas' (plural feminine).

Ser vs. Estar with Manchado

Use 'estar' when someone accidentally got a stain (a temporary state), but use 'ser' when describing a permanent pattern, like a leopard's spots.

Using the wrong preposition

Mistake: “Está manchado con café.”

Correction: Está manchado de café. While 'con' is sometimes used, 'de' is much more natural when identifying the substance that caused the stain.

Found vs. Marked

The most common mistake is using 'encontró' (found) when you mean something is covered in spots or stains. Remember, 'encontró' refers to the act of discovering something, while 'manchado' describes a physical state of being marked.

Related Translations

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