French Conversation · Level 88
60 words
French word
tacher
Pronunciation
IPA/taʃe/
Meaning
- verbdirty
Example
Ne tache pas tes pantalons en jouant.
Don't dirty your pants while playing.
More examples
Il a taché son pantalon en renversant du café.
He stained his pants by spilling coffee.
Core concept
A spot of unwanted color or dirt appearing on an otherwise cleaner object.
Common phrases
tacher un pantalon
stain a pair of pants
se tacher
get stained
Similar words
salir: To make an object dirty across a wide area.
éclabousser: To spatter something with liquid and leave scattered stains.
Definition in French
Souiller ou provoquer une marque visible (une tache) sur un tissu, un vêtement ou un objet.
Word origin
French tacher comes from tache with the productive verb ending -er, expressing the act of making such a mark.
Usage tips
- Tacher is more specific than salir when the result is a localized stain; salir can describe making something dirty more generally.