Inklingo

How to Say "lied" in Spanish

English → Spanish

mentido

men-TEE-doh/menˈtiðo/

Past ParticipleA2General
Use 'mentido' when forming perfect tenses, such as the present perfect ('has lied') or past perfect ('had lied'), always accompanied by the auxiliary verb 'haber.'
A simple storybook illustration of a stylized person holding a large, cheerful, yellow mask partially covering their face, symbolizing deception.

Examples

Nunca le he mentido a mi madre sobre mis notas.

I have never lied to my mother about my grades.

Si hubieras mentido, ya lo sabríamos.

If you had lied, we would already know it.

The 'Perfect' Helper

The word 'mentido' always pairs with a form of the verb 'haber' (to have) to create an action that happened in the past, like 'he mentido' (I have lied).

Changing the Ending

Mistake: “Using 'mentida' or 'mentidos' when forming a perfect tense (e.g., 'Hemos mentidas').”

Correction: When paired with 'haber', the participle 'mentido' never changes its ending, regardless of who is doing the action. It is always 'Hemos mentido'.

mintió

VerbA2General
Use 'mintió' to describe a specific instance of lying in the past, functioning as the simple past (preterite) tense for 'he,' 'she,' or 'it.'

Examples

Ella mintió sobre su edad para entrar al club.

She lied about her age to get into the club.

Past Participle vs. Simple Past

The most common mistake is using 'mentido' as a standalone past tense verb, similar to 'mintió.' Remember that 'mentido' needs 'haber' (e.g., 'ha mentido'), while 'mintió' is the complete past tense form on its own.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.