How to Say "deceitful" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “deceitful” is “mentiroso” — use 'mentiroso' to describe a person's character or behavior that is characterized by lying or untruthfulness, or to describe something that is inherently untrue.
mentiroso
men-tee-ROH-somentiˈroso
Examples
Su excusa era tan mentirosa que nadie le creyó.
His excuse was so untruthful that nobody believed him.
El informe parecía mentiroso y lleno de errores.
The report seemed misleading and full of errors.
Matching Gender
As an adjective, 'mentiroso' must change its ending to match the person or thing it describes. Use 'mentiroso' for masculine things and 'mentirosa' for feminine things.
Forgetting the Gender Change
Mistake: “Ella es mentiroso.”
Correction: Ella es mentirosa. (You must match the 'a' ending to the female subject 'Ella'.)
falso
FAHL-sohˈfalso
Examples
Me vendieron un reloj falso en la calle.
They sold me a fake watch on the street.
Ella tiene una sonrisa falsa, no parece feliz.
She has an insincere (false) smile; she doesn't look happy.
Descubrieron que el dinero era falso.
They discovered that the money was counterfeit.
Using Ser vs. Estar
When describing a person's character as deceitful, always use 'ser': 'Él es falso' (He is a false person). You would not typically use 'estar' with this meaning.
estafador
es-tah-fah-DORestafaˈðoɾ
Examples
Fue víctima de un negocio estafador.
He was a victim of a fraudulent business.
Sus tácticas estafadoras finalmente fueron descubiertas.
His deceitful tactics were finally discovered.
Adjective Agreement
When using this as a description, remember it must match the thing it describes. 'Empresa estafadora' (feminine) vs 'Negocio estafador' (masculine).
impostor
eem-pohs-TOHRim.posˈtoɾ
Examples
Ese es un espíritu impostor que solo busca engañar.
That is a deceitful spirit that only seeks to deceive.
No confíes en su discurso impostor.
Do not trust his deceitful speech.
Sus palabras impostoras no nos convencieron.
His deceitful words did not convince us.
Adjective Placement
Like most adjectives in Spanish, 'impostor' usually comes after the noun it describes: 'un hombre impostor'.
Plural Form
To make this word plural, add '-es' to the end: 'hombres impostores'.
Incorrect Plural
Mistake: “Saying 'hombres impostors'.”
Correction: In Spanish, words ending in a consonant usually need '-es' to become plural: 'impostores'.
traidor
trah-EE-dortɾaˈiðoɾ
Examples
La memoria es traidora cuando uno intenta recordar detalles viejos.
Memory is treacherous/deceitful when one tries to recall old details.
Tuvimos que cruzar un camino traidor lleno de hielo.
We had to cross a treacherous path full of ice.
Adjective Agreement
Like all Spanish adjectives, 'traidor' must match the gender and number of the noun it describes: 'camino traidor' (m. singular) but 'sonrisa traidora' (f. singular).
Choosing between 'mentiroso', 'falso', and 'estafador'
Related Translations
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