engañar
/en-gah-NYAR/
to deceive
Engañar (to deceive)
engañar(verb)
to deceive
?general misleading
,to trick
?playing a prank or joke
,to mislead
?giving wrong information
to fool
?making someone believe something false
📝 In Action
El vendedor intentó engañarme con el precio.
A2The salesperson tried to deceive me with the price.
¿Me estás engañando? Creí que eras honesto.
A2Are you tricking me? I thought you were honest.
No te dejes engañar por las apariencias.
B1Don't let yourself be fooled by appearances.
💡 Grammar Points
Direct Object Needed
Unlike the English 'to lie,' 'engañar' usually needs to specify WHO is being deceived: 'Yo engañé a mi hermano.' (I deceived my brother.)
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'Engañar' and 'Mentir'
Mistake: "Using 'engañar' when you only mean 'to lie' (Mentí sobre mi edad)."
Correction: 'Mentir' means to say something untrue. 'Engañar' means to manipulate or mislead someone into believing a lie.
⭐ Usage Tips
Self-Deception
When talking about fooling yourself, use the reflexive form: 'Me estoy engañando a mí mismo.' (I am deceiving myself.)
Engañar (to cheat on)
engañar(verb)
to cheat on
?in a romantic relationship
,to be unfaithful to
?marriage/partnership
to have an affair
?describing the act
📝 In Action
Ella descubrió que su esposo la estaba engañando.
B1She discovered that her husband was cheating on her.
No puedo creer que me haya engañado con mi mejor amigo.
B2I can't believe he cheated on me with my best friend.
💡 Grammar Points
Using the 'Personal A'
Since the person being cheated on is the direct object and a person, you MUST use the 'personal a' before them: 'Engañó A su esposa.'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Engañar' for Cheating on a Test
Mistake: "Using 'engañar' to mean 'to cheat on a test' (Él engañó en el examen)."
Correction: For academic cheating, use 'copiar' or 'hacer trampa': 'Él copió/hizo trampa en el examen.'
⭐ Usage Tips
The Noun Form
The noun for 'cheating' or 'affair' is 'un engaño' or 'una infidelidad'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: engañar
Question 1 of 2
Which verb should you use if you simply told a small lie about your age?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'engañar' always negative?
Almost always. While you might 'engañar' someone as part of a harmless joke or prank ('una broma'), the word carries a strong connotation of intentional deception, which is generally viewed negatively.
How is 'engañarse' different from 'engañar'?
'Engañar' means to deceive someone else. 'Engañarse' is the reflexive form, meaning to deceive yourself or to be fooled by your own thoughts: 'No te engañes, sabes la verdad' (Don't fool yourself, you know the truth).