mentir
/menˈtiɾ/
To lie in Spanish is to say mentir. Wiktionary also lists embustear and embustir.
Meaning: tell an intentional untruth (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mentir | /menˈtiɾ/ | |
| embustear | /embusteˈaɾ/ | |
| embustir | /embusˈtiɾ/ | |
| bolacear | /bolaθeaɾ/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /bolaseaɾ/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
Argentina |
| piliar | /piljaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | El Salvador |
The primary way to express the act of telling an intentional untruth is through the verb mentir. If you want to refer to the concept of a falsehood in a formal way, you can use falsedad.
Which one should you use?
While mentir is the verb meaning 'to lie', mentira is the noun used to mean 'a lie'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you can use bolacear to mean lying or talking nonsense or the informal term chamullo to refer to a lie. In El Salvador, the word piliar is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb mentir is irregular in the present tense. The 'e' changes to 'ie' in many forms, such as miento.
How do you pronounce it?
/menˈtiɾ/
Did you know?
- To describe a pathological liar, Spanish speakers use the expression mentir como respira, which literally means 'to lie like one breathes'.
- The Latin root of mentir is mentīrī, which is also the ancestor of the English word 'mental', as both relate to the 'mind' and the internal process of creating a thought.
- The Argentine term chamullo describes a very specific type of lie: the kind used to persuade, seduce, or 'sweet-talk' someone.
Examples in context
- Nunca le oí mentir.I never heard him lie.The sentence is useful for describing someone you have never heard perform the action of mentir.Tatoeba #1273991 by Shishir, translation #457298 by sacredceltic
- No te puedo mentir.I can't lie to you.The sentence is useful for stating your inability to mentir to someone.Tatoeba #2181262 by Shishir, translation #17520 by CK
- No tenés que mentir.You don't have to lie.The sentence is useful for telling someone they are not required to mentir.Tatoeba #2288280 by hayastan, translation #2283653 by CK
- Él mintió acerca de su participación en el proyecto.He lied about his involvement in the project.
- Escuché rumores sobre la falsedad de su declaración.I heard rumors about the falseness of his statement.
- ¡No te creo! ¡Eso es una mentira!I don't believe you! That's a lie!
- No le creas, siempre cuenta patrañas.Don't believe him, he always tells lies.
- No te creo nada, eso es una mentira cochina.I don't believe anything you say, that's a big fat lie.
- 195 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are talking about a broken vase.
- DanielLucía, ¿tú rompiste el jarrón?Lucía, did you break the vase?
- LucíaNo, yo no fui.No, it wasn't me.
- DanielNo intentes mentir ahora, Daniel sabe todo.Don't try to lie now, Daniel knows everything.
- LucíaEstá bien, yo lo rompí.Alright, I broke it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lie” translations and entries mentir, embustear, embustir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries embustear, embustir, mentir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
