engañó
en-ga-NYOH
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Ella dijo que me amaba, pero me engañó.
A2She said she loved me, but she tricked me/cheated on me.
El vendedor nos engañó con el precio del coche.
B1The salesperson fooled us with the car's price.
Usted engañó a la audiencia al no decir la verdad.
B2You (formal) deceived the audience by not telling the truth.
💡 Grammar Points
Simple Past (Preterite) Use
The ending '-ó' tells you that the action of deceiving happened once and was completely finished in the past. It’s used for 'he,' 'she,' 'it,' or the formal 'you' (usted).
Regular -AR Pattern
Since 'engañar' is a regular -AR verb, the simple past ending '-ó' is predictable, just like 'habló' (he spoke) or 'compró' (he bought).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Past Tenses
Mistake: "Using 'engañaba' (imperfect) when referring to a single, specific event."
Correction: 'Engañó' is for a definite, completed action (e.g., 'He tricked me yesterday'). 'Engañaba' describes ongoing or repeated actions in the past (e.g., 'He used to trick people').
⭐ Usage Tips
The Tilde (Accent Mark)
The accent mark over the 'o' (ó) is essential! Without it ('engano'), it would be the 'yo' (I) form of the verb in the present tense ('I deceive'). The accent is what makes it the past tense.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: engañó
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'engañó' to describe a single, completed action in the past?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the accent mark on 'engañó' so important?
The accent mark tells you that the stress falls on the last syllable, which is the signal for the simple past tense (preterite) for 'he/she/it.' Without the accent, it becomes 'engañó' (I deceive) in the present tense, which completely changes the meaning and the subject.
Can 'engañó' mean 'cheated' in a relationship context?
Yes, absolutely. In Spanish, using 'engañó' (he/she deceived/tricked) is one of the most common ways to say that someone was unfaithful or cheated on their partner.