mancháis

Mancháis is the second-person plural present indicative form of the Spanish verb manchar. The verb means to stain, soil, or tarnish something, and mancháis is used when addressing a group that performs the action in the present. In Spain, this form is standard when using the vosotros subject; in most of Latin America the corresponding present tense with ustedes is manchan instead.

Usage notes:

- Affirmative: Vosotros mancháis la camisa si no tenéis cuidado.

- Negative: No manchéis la ropa antes de lavarla.

In Latin American dialects, speakers would typically use ustedes and say, por ejemplo, "Ustedes manchan la camisa" in the present tense, rather than “mancháis.”

Semantic range:

Manchar can be literal (staining clothing or surfaces) or figurative (staining a reputation, character, or record). For example, “manchar la reputación” is common when referring to moral or ethical blemishes, while “mancharse las manos” can mean being involved in wrongdoing.

Etymology:

The verb is of Romance origin, linked to the noun mancha (stain). The suffix -ar marks the infinitive, while the present-tense form shows the regular conjugation pattern for -ar verbs in the vosotros paradigm.

See also:

Manchar, Mancha (noun), Reputación (reputation)