What does 'stain' mean? - How to speak English with Misterduncan in England

2,790 views ・ 2024-09-24

English Addict with Mr Duncan


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

00:03
Most things that we experience in life come and go quite easily.
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However, it is possible to experience something
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or to find something that will not go away.
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Today's English word perfectly expresses this situation.
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The word is ‘ ‘stain’.
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Just like many English words,
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the word ‘stain’ can be used as both a noun and a verb.
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As a noun, the word ‘stain’ means a blemish or mark that is difficult to remove,
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or in some cases, completely impossible to get rid of.
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That thing will not go away.
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However hard you try to wash and scrub, it will not go.
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We often find a stain on our clothes,
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normally due to some sort of spillage.
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Perhaps you were eating some messy food
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01:01
and a small piece of it fell onto your clothing.
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Perhaps a drop of coffee was spilt whilst you were drinking it.
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A small splash of something landed on you,
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such as a drop of paint or fruit juice,
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and later on you try to remove it, but it is too late.
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There is now a stain on your lovely new shirt.
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01:28
An accidental stain can occur on an object, such as a wooden table.
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A person's teeth can be described as ‘stained’
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if they have become discoloured due to neglect.
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That person has stained teeth.
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On clothing, certain things can leave a stain behind,
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such as fruit juice or tomato sauce.
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These are all literal stains.
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They are... real.
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It is possible to use the word stain in a figurative way as well.
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A bad experience might leave a stain on your memory.
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A bad event or a traumatic moment of time
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can be referred to as a stain.
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If your good character has been damaged by a bad action,
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we can say that your character has a stain.
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You were caught committing a crime and now your name has a stain.
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The bad deed and the punishment given is a stain on your character.
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As a verb, the action of causing damage
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by creating a mark that is hard to remove can be described as a stain. (to stain)
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You might stain your shirt by spilling coffee onto it.
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You might stain a piece of wood, so as to change the colour of it.
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03:02
Figuratively, you might stain your good name by committing a crime.
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In general terms, you stain something.
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The action creates a stain.
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Quite often, a stain will never go away.
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It will always be there.
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It cannot be removed. It is permanent.
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Synonyms of ‘stain’ include...
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mark, blemish, blotch, spatter.
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If something cannot be removed or washed away,
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we can describe it as being indelible.
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That stain will not vanish, no matter how many times you wash it.
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So whether it is used in the literal sense or the figurative sense,
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quite often that stain will be there... forever.
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