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How to Say "to stain" in Spanish

English → Spanish

manchar

/mahn-CHAR//manˈtʃaɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'manchar' when referring to the act of making a physical spot or mark on a surface or fabric.
A white t-shirt with a large purple grape juice stain on the front.

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.

ensuciar

/en-swah-syahr//enswaˈsjaɾ/

verbB2general
Use 'ensuciar' when talking about damaging or tarnishing something abstract, like a reputation or an image.
A shiny golden trophy being covered by thick black ink drips.

Examples

Sus acciones ensuciaron la reputación de toda la familia.

His actions tarnished the reputation of the whole family.

No dejes que una mentira ensucie tu buen nombre.

Don't let a lie stain your good name.

Figurative Meaning

Just like in English, words for physical dirt are often used for moral dirtiness.

teñir

/teh-NYEER//teˈɲiɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'teñir' primarily for coloring a surface, like fabric or wood, or metaphorically for coloring a scene or atmosphere.
A white t-shirt being dipped into a bucket of bright blue liquid, showing the fabric changing color.

Examples

Quiero teñir mi camiseta de azul.

I want to dye my t-shirt blue.

Ella se tiñe el pelo cada tres meses.

She dyes her hair every three months.

Es difícil teñir esta tela sintética.

It is difficult to dye this synthetic fabric.

El atardecer tiñó el cielo de naranja.

The sunset tinged the sky orange.

The 'E to I' Swap

This verb changes the 'e' in its root to an 'i' when you stress it (like in 'tiño' or 'tiñe'), except in the 'we' and 'you all' forms.

The Disappearing 'I'

Because the letter 'ñ' already has a 'y' sound built-in, the extra 'i' that usually appears in past tense endings like -ieron disappears. It's 'tiñeron', not 'tiñieron'.

Passive Usage

This meaning is often used with 'se' to describe things happening naturally, like the sky coloring itself: 'El cielo se tiñó de rojo'.

Teñir vs. Pintar

Mistake: “Voy a pintar mi ropa.”

Correction: Voy a teñir mi ropa. Use 'pintar' for applying paint to a surface (like a wall) and 'teñir' when the color soaks into a material (like fabric or hair).

Physical Marks vs. Reputation Damage

The most common mistake is using 'manchar' for reputational damage. Remember that 'manchar' is for physical spots on objects, while 'ensuciar' is used when talking about tarnishing an image or reputation.

Related Translations

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