Spanish word

mentir

Pronunciation

IPA/menˈtiɾ/

Meaning

  • verblie

Example

¡Por favor, no me mientas!

Please don't lie to me!

Illustration for mentir (lie)

More examples

No conviene mentir a alguien que confía en ti.

You shouldn't lie to someone who trusts you.

Core concept

Deliberate speech meant to mislead another person.

Common phrases

  • mentir a alguien

    lie to someone

  • mentir sobre algo

    lie about something

Similar words

engañar: Intentionally creating a false impression to deceive another person.
fingir: Pretending by actions or expressions to make something appear true when it is not.
inventar: Making up a story or explanation that is not true.
ocultar: Keeping facts or information hidden so others do not know.

Definition in Spanish

Usar palabras falsas para ocultar la verdad o crear una impresión equivocada en otra persona.

Word origin

Spanish mentir comes from Latin mentīrī and carries the basic sense of telling a falsehood.

Usage tips

  • The present-tense stem change e→ie appears in forms like yo miento and tú mientes, and the frequent construction mentir a alguien or mentirle a alguien specifies lying to a person.

Opposites

  • decir la verdadtell the truthverb

Related words

Word lists with this word