Inklingo

How to Say "to deceive" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “to deceive” is “engañar” — use 'engañar' when someone is tricked, misled, or fooled through dishonest means, like being cheated or manipulated..

English → Spanish

engañar

verbA2general
Use 'engañar' when someone is tricked, misled, or fooled through dishonest means, like being cheated or manipulated.

Examples

El estafador intentó engañar a la anciana para robarle su dinero.

The con artist tried to deceive the old woman to steal her money.

mentir

/men-TEER//menˈtiɾ/

verbA1general
Use 'mentir' specifically when someone is telling an untruth or uttering a falsehood with the intention to mislead.
A small child standing next to a shattered blue vase on the floor. The child is pointing accusingly at a cat sitting nearby, while secretly holding a small hammer behind their back.

Examples

No le creas, él siempre miente sobre sus logros.

Don't believe him, he always lies about his achievements.

Ella siempre miente sobre su edad.

She always lies about her age.

Prométeme que nunca me mentirás.

Promise me that you will never lie to me.

Aunque me mintió, creo que lo hizo para protegerme.

Even though he lied to me, I think he did it to protect me.

The 'Boot' Conjugation (e -> ie)

In the present tense, the 'e' in the middle of 'mentir' changes to 'ie' (miento, mientes, miente, mienten). However, the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms are regular (mentimos, mentís).

Subjunctive and Past Tense Stem Change (e -> i)

In the Preterite (past tense) and Subjunctive, the vowel changes even further, from 'e' to 'i' in some forms (e.g., él mintió in the past, or nosotros mintamos in the subjunctive). This is common for -ir stem-changing verbs.

Confusing the stem change

Mistake: “Using 'mentamos' instead of 'mintamos' for the 'nosotros' form in the present subjunctive.”

Correction: The correct form is 'mintamos' (using the 'i' stem). Remember that the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms of these verbs use the 'i' stem when in the subjunctive or past tense.

Engañar vs. Mentir

Learners often confuse 'engañar' and 'mentir'. Remember that 'mentir' is strictly about uttering falsehoods (lying). 'Engañar' is a broader term that includes lying but also covers tricking, cheating, or fooling someone through actions or deception.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.