How to Say "to smudge" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to smudge” is “manchar” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Ten cuidado con el café, puedes manchar el sofá.
Be careful with the coffee; you might stain the sofa.
La tinta de este bolígrafo mancha mucho las manos.
The ink from this pen really stains your hands.
Me manché la camisa blanca con salsa de tomate.
I stained my white shirt with tomato sauce.
Staining yourself vs. staining something else
Use 'manchar' when you stain an object (Mancho la mesa). Use 'mancharse' with an extra 'me, te, se' when you stain your own clothes or body (Me manché la camisa).
Using 'de' for the substance
To say what caused the stain, use the word 'de'. For example: 'Manchado de vino' (Stained with wine).
Using 'con' instead of 'de'
Mistake: “Está manchado con aceite.”
Correction: Está manchado DE aceite. While 'con' is sometimes understood, 'de' is the natural way to describe what a surface is covered in.
Related Translations
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