engaña

en-GAH-nyah/eŋˈɡaɲa/

“engaña” means “he/she/it deceives” in Spanish (stating a fact about someone's behavior).

he/she/it deceives

Also: tricks, cheats, deceive!

VerbB1follows the standard pattern ar

A mischievous fox hiding a brightly colored ball behind its back while offering an empty hand to a friend.

gerundengañando

past Participleengañado

infinitiveengañar

📝 In Action

A veces, la apariencia engaña.

Sometimes, appearances are deceptive (literally: appearance deceives).

Él engaña a su hermano con un truco de cartas.

He tricks his brother with a card trick.

No te preocupes, ella no te engaña.

Don't worry, she isn't cheating on you.

Word Connections

Synonyms

miente (he/she lies)
tima (he/she swindles)

Antonyms

aclara (he/she clarifies)
respeta (he/she respects)

Common Collocations

La vista me engaña – My eyes are playing tricks on me
Engaña al ojo – It fools the eye (Trompe l'oeil)

Idioms & Expressions

El que no corre, vuela (y el que no, engaña) – In a competitive world, everyone is trying to get ahead by any means necessary.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesengañaran

yoengañara

túengañaras

vosotrosengañarais

nosotrosengañáramos

él/ella/ustedengañara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesengañen

yoengañe

túengañes

vosotrosengañéis

nosotrosengañemos

él/ella/ustedengañe

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesengañaron

yoengañé

túengañaste

vosotrosengañasteis

nosotrosengañamos

él/ella/ustedengañó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesengañaban

yoengañaba

túengañabas

vosotrosengañabais

nosotrosengañábamos

él/ella/ustedengañaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesengañan

yoengaño

túengañas

vosotrosengañáis

nosotrosengañamos

él/ella/ustedengaña

View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "engaña" in Spanish:

cheats→deceive!→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: engaña

Question 1 of 2

What is the most common meaning of 'engaña' in a statement?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

engañar(to deceive) — Verb

engaño(a trick or deceit) — Noun

engañoso(deceptive) — Adjective

🎵 Rhymes▼

montañaarañaextraña

📚 Etymology▼

Derived from the verb 'engañar', which likely comes from the Vulgar Latin 'ingannare', meaning 'to mock' or 'to lure with a song'.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: ingannarePortuguese: enganar

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'engaña' always mean cheating in a relationship?

Not always. While it can mean being unfaithful, it also broadly means tricking someone, like a magician tricks an audience or a mirage tricks the eyes.

Is 'engaña' a formal word?

It is neutral. You can use it in books, news reports, or casual conversation with friends.