Inklingo

How to Say "to cheat" in Spanish

English → Spanish

copiar

koh-pyahr/koˈpjaɾ/

verbA2academic
Use 'copiar' specifically when referring to cheating in an academic setting, like copying answers during a test or plagiarizing schoolwork.
A student looking at another student's paper during a test in a classroom.

Examples

Le suspendieron por copiar en el examen final.

He was failed for cheating on the final exam.

No copies a tu compañero, hazlo tú solo.

Don't copy from your classmate, do it yourself.

Es imposible copiar con este profesor; siempre está mirando.

It's impossible to cheat with this teacher; he is always watching.

Cheating 'at' or 'in'

To say you are cheating on an exam, use 'copiar en el examen'.

Using 'engañar' for exams

Mistake: “Él engañó en el examen.”

Correction: Él copió en el examen.

estafar

/es-tah-FAR//estaˈfaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'estafar' for general deception, especially when the goal is to illegally obtain money or property from someone.
A suspicious person in a dark hoodie handing a fake gold coin to an unsuspecting person in exchange for a bag of money.

Examples

Intentaron estafarme con un correo falso.

They tried to scam me with a fake email.

El hombre estafó a sus clientes y huyó con el dinero.

The man swindled his clients and fled with the money.

Es fácil estafar a la gente que busca dinero rápido.

It is easy to rip off people who are looking for quick money.

The 'Personal A'

When you use 'estafar' with a person, you must use 'a' before the person's name or title, like 'Estafaron a mi vecino'.

Regular Verb Pattern

This verb follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar, making it easy to conjugate once you know the basics.

Estafar vs. Robar

Mistake: “Me estafaron el teléfono en la calle.”

Correction: Me robaron el teléfono en la calle. Use 'estafar' for tricks and lies, and 'robar' for physical theft.

timar

/tee-MAHR//tiˈmaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'timar' for dishonesty in a transaction or deal, often involving trickery to get money or goods, implying a slightly less severe or more common scam than 'estafar'.
A street performer hiding a gold coin under one of three cups to trick a passerby.

Examples

Ten cuidado con esos correos electrónicos, solo quieren timarte.

Be careful with those emails, they just want to scam you.

Me timaron en el mercado; la fruta estaba podrida por dentro.

I got ripped off at the market; the fruit was rotten inside.

Le timaron mil euros con un anuncio de alquiler falso.

They swindled him out of a thousand euros with a fake rental ad.

Who is getting scammed?

When you use this word, the person being tricked is the 'direct receiver' of the action. This means you use pronouns like 'me,' 'te,' 'lo,' or 'la.' For example: 'Lo timaron' (They scammed him).

Talking about the amount

To mention how much someone was scammed, you usually don't need a special word in between. You can say 'Me timaron diez euros' (They scammed me ten euros).

Scamming 'from' someone

Mistake: “Me timaron cien euros de mi hermano.”

Correction: Timaron a mi hermano cien euros.

Confusing 'estafar' and 'timar'

Learners often confuse 'estafar' and 'timar' as both refer to scams. While similar, 'estafar' often implies a more serious or organized fraudulent act, whereas 'timar' can refer to more common, everyday swindles or tricks.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.