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It was just necessary to explain to somebody in English why I am not wearing the team shirt of my national team although they play this evening. I don’t want to wear it right now, because the weather is quite hot outside. If I did, it would be full of sweat this evening and smelling. I will put it on later.

Is there a single verb in English which could be used in this context? In German I could just say:

Ich will das Trikot nicht vollschwitzen.

and vollschwitzen means to make some clothes full of sweat over time, which implies it will smell bad. Is there a similar verb in English, so that I could just say something like:

I don’t want to ... my team shirt.

Maybe a colloquial one? If there isn’t, how could I say this more elegant / in a shorter way?

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  • Trikot here would probably be expressed by most sports fans as (team) jersey.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Jul 4, 2014 at 15:02

2 Answers 2

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In American English we would say

I don't want to get my team shirt sweaty.

No native speaker would use to soil in this context. To soil means 'to make dirty'. In relation to clothes, it has the specific meaning of 'to soil one's clothes by defecating (or: pooping) in them'. Thus, the farther away from soil you stay, the better.

According to Google translate, English to soil translates as beschmutzen, verschmutzen, verunreinigen, besudeln. If any of those fit, feel free to use it. However, if they don't fit, it's because we wouldn't use to soil in his context. Ever. Not in contemporary, everyday English. Likewise, we wouldn't say to pollute or to foul either.

To get something sweaty is what you want to say.

Therefore I have given you the same phrase as an earlier answer, but some other information about to soil.

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  • I agree with everything here. Just wanted to add that we might use dirty in place of sweaty. When I'm out jogging or playing football, dirty implies sweaty. Dirty doesn't necessarily mean dirt-covered, particularly when talking about laundry. For example, I could point to a laundry basket, and ask: Are these clothes dirty or clean?
    – J.R. ♦
    Dec 26, 2015 at 9:29
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Strictly speaking you could use the verb soil:

I don't want to soil my team shirt

but I don't think any native speaker would use that in the context of making something sweaty. It is used more to imply the application of dirt or, heaven forfend, faeces.

Colloquially, I would say

I don't want to get my team shirt sweaty

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