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I know that I can use で here to mean by/with but wouldn't it be more proper to
use を since よごす is a transitive verb?

> しんぐもつちぼこりでよごしてしまいました。

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
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2016-03-12T13:57:12.500
32858
2016-03-12T14:11:40.520
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question
particle-で
Why で instead of を in しんぐもつちぼこりでよごしてしまいました。
汚す｛よごす｝ is indeed a transitive verb, but 土埃｛つちぼこり｝ is not the direct object of
action here. When you use 汚す, you can specify a direct object(marked with を)
and you can also specify the thing that dirtied that object. You can specify
that with で. That means, that 寝具｛しんぐ｝ is the thing that got dirty, and it was
dirtied by 土埃. Another example:

手を血で汚す - dirty hands with blood
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2016-03-12T14:11:40.520
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2016-03-12T14:11:40.520
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answer