verb
to pollute, to contaminate
B1
verschmutzen: to pollute; to contaminate. A regular (weak) verb with participle 'verschmutzt' that takes haben as auxiliary. Non‑reflexive: jemand verschmutzt etwas. No special preposition. Commonly used for air, water or soil contamination and general pollution; simple opposite: reinigen/sauber machen.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.EXAMPLES
Ich verschmutze die Umwelt nicht.
I don't pollute the environment.
Die Fabrik verschmutzte den Fluss.
The factory polluted the river.
Die Fabrik verschmutzt den Fluss seit Jahren.
The factory has been polluting the river for years.
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VOCABULARY.DETAILS.MNEMONICS
Imagine a clear river turning dark and oily as factory pipes pour into it.
Sounds like 'verse-mud-zen' — imagine mud (pollution) being spread.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.NOTES
Typically used transitively (etwas verschmutzen = to make something dirty/polluted). Common in environmental contexts.