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A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration of a young child smiling innocently while standing. The child is holding their hands behind their back, with the fingers of one hand secretly crossed, indicating they are telling a falsehood.

mintiendo

min-tee-EN-doh

Verb FormA2irregular (e→i stem change in the gerund) ir
lying?Telling a falsehood (used in continuous action)
Also:telling a lie?as part of a progressive tense

Quick Reference

infinitivementir
gerundmintiendo
past Participlementido

📝 In Action

Creo que me estás mintiendo sobre dónde estuviste anoche.

A2

I think you are lying to me about where you were last night.

Él siempre estuvo mintiendo para evitar meterse en problemas.

B1

He was always lying to avoid getting into trouble.

Ella niega estar mintiendo, pero su cara dice lo contrario.

B2

She denies being dishonest, but her face says otherwise.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • engañando (deceiving)
  • falseando (falsifying)

Antonyms

  • diciendo la verdad (telling the truth)

Common Collocations

  • Estar mintiendo – To be lying (right now)
  • Seguir mintiendo – To keep lying

💡 Grammar Points

Forming Continuous Actions

Use 'mintiendo' with a form of the verb 'estar' (like 'estoy,' 'estás,' etc.) to describe an action that is happening now: 'Estoy mintiendo' (I am lying).

The E→I Change

'Mintiendo' is irregular because the 'e' in the stem of 'mentir' changes to an 'i' instead of the more common 'ie' change found in the present tense (like 'miento').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the Stem Change

Mistake: "Me estás *mentiendo*."

Correction: Me estás *mintiendo*. Remember that -ir verbs that stem-change in the present tense (like *mentir*) always change e→i in the gerund.

⭐ Usage Tips

The 'Lying' Context

While 'engañar' (to deceive) is similar, 'mentir' specifically means to tell an untruth. 'Mintiendo' is the exact equivalent of 'lying' in English.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: mintiendo

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'mintiendo' to describe an ongoing action?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

mentir(to lie (infinitive)) - verb
la mentira(the lie) - noun
mentiroso(liar/lying) - adjective/noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'mintiendo' and 'miente'?

'Miente' is the present tense conjugation (he/she/it lies), describing a habitual action or a fact. 'Mintiendo' is the gerund (lying) and is used with 'estar' to describe an action happening right now (e.g., 'Él está mintiendo' = He is lying right now).

Why is the gerund 'mintiendo' and not 'mentiendo'?

This is an example of an 'e→i' stem-change irregularity found in many -ir verbs. When you create the continuous action form, the 'e' in the root changes to an 'i', just like in the third-person preterite ('mintió').