verschmutzen
Translation
to pollute, to contaminate, to soil, to dirty
Examples
Die Fabrik verschmutzt den Fluss.
The factory pollutes the river.
Pass auf, du verschmutzt dein Hemd!
Be careful, you're dirtying your shirt!
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to pollute/dirty sth. The factory pollutes the river.
Similar Words
Synonyms: verunreinigen (to contaminate), beschmutzen (to soil); Antonyms: reinigen (to clean), säubern (to cleanse)
Etymology
Composed of the prefix 'ver-' (indicating a process or negative change) + 'Schmutz' (dirt) + '-en' (verb ending). Literally 'to make dirty'.
Memory Tips
Think of 'Schmutz' (dirt) that has been 'ver-' (badly) spread, causing pollution.