miente
“miente” means “lies” in Spanish (He/she/it lies; You (formal) lie).
lies
Also: (you) lie, is lying
📝 In Action
Mi hermano siempre miente cuando le pregunto dónde estuvo.
A2My brother always lies when I ask him where he was.
Usted miente, señor, los documentos dicen lo contrario.
B1You are lying, sir; the documents say the opposite.
¡Miente! No puedes decir la verdad si te metes en problemas.
B2Lie! You can't tell the truth if you're going to get in trouble. (Affirmative command to a friend)
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: miente
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'miente' as an affirmative command?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *mentiri*, which meant 'to invent' or 'to tell a falsehood.' It shares roots with the idea of using the mind (*mens*) to create something untrue.
First recorded: Old Spanish (c. 13th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'miente' means 'he/she lies' or if it's a command?
Context is key! If 'miente' is preceded by a subject (like 'él' or 'mi jefe'), it's a statement. If it starts the sentence, especially with an exclamation mark, or is followed by another command, it's likely the informal command ('tú') meaning 'lie!'
If 'miente' is the present tense, what is the base form of the verb?
The base form (infinitive) is 'mentir.' Remember that 'mentir' is irregular, so the 'e' changes to 'ie' in many of its conjugations, including 'miente.'