How to Say "to deny" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to deny” is “denegar” — use 'denegar' when formally refusing or rejecting an official request, application, or legal petition..
denegar
/deh-neh-GAR//deneˈɣaɾ/
Examples
El juez tuvo que denegar la solicitud de libertad condicional.
The judge had to deny the request for parole.
El banco decidió denegar mi solicitud de préstamo.
The bank decided to deny my loan application.
Le denegaron el visado porque le faltaba un documento.
They refused his visa because he was missing a document.
Si el juez deniega la petición, tendremos que apelar.
If the judge denies the petition, we will have to appeal.
The Boot Change
This verb has a stem change where the 'e' becomes 'ie' in most forms, except for 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'. It's called a 'boot verb' because if you circle the changed forms on a grid, they look like a boot!
Spelling Shift
In the 'yo' form of the past (preterite), the 'g' changes to 'gu' (denegué) to keep the hard 'g' sound before the letter 'e'.
Negar vs. Denegar
Mistake: “Negar una solicitud.”
Correction: Denegar una solicitud.
desmentir
/dehs-mehn-TEER//desmenˈtiɾ/
Examples
El político salió a desmentir las acusaciones de corrupción.
The politician came out to deny the accusations of corruption.
La empresa tuvo que desmentir los rumores sobre su cierre.
The company had to deny the rumors about its closure.
Sus acciones desmienten sus palabras de amor.
His actions contradict his words of love.
Los científicos lograron desmentir la vieja teoría con nuevas pruebas.
Scientists managed to debunk the old theory with new evidence.
The 'E' to 'IE' and 'I' Swap
This verb is a bit tricky. The middle 'e' changes to 'ie' when you stress it (like 'yo desmiento'), but it changes to 'i' in the past for 'he/she' and 'they' (like 'él desmintió').
Using 'Desmentir' vs. 'Negar'
Use 'desmentir' when you are specifically saying a claim or rumor is false. Use 'negar' for a general refusal or when someone says they didn't do something.
The Past Tense Slip-up
Mistake: “Él desmentió la noticia.”
Correction: Él desmintió la noticia. Because it's an -ir verb with an 'e' in the stem, that 'e' turns into 'i' in the 3rd person past tense.
Denying a Request vs. Denying a Statement
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.