How to Say "lied" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “lied” is “mentido” — 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.'.
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.'
Learn more →Use 'mintió' to describe a specific instance of lying in the past, functioning as the simple past (preterite) tense for 'he,' 'she,' or 'it.'
Learn more →men-TEE-dohmenˈtiðo
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
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
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