engaño
/enˈɡaɲo/masculine
Deception in Spanish is translated as engaño. Wiktionary also lists socaliña and decebimiento.
Meaning: instance of actions fabricated to mislead (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| engaño | /enˈɡaɲo/ | masculine |
| socaliña | /sokaˈliɲa/ | feminine |
| decebimiento | /deθebimjento/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /desebimjento/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| engañifla | /enɡaɲifla/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| engañifa | /enɡaˈɲifa/ | feminine |
The word refers to instances of actions fabricated to mislead. It can refer to both the general concept of being misled and a specific act of deception, such as un engaño (a deception or a lie).
Which one should you use?
While the phrase refers to deception, be careful with the word decepción, which is a false friend. It actually means 'disappointment' in Spanish. Regarding the different forms of deception, engañifa is used specifically for small-scale deceptions or tricks.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun engaño is derived from the verb engañar, which means 'to deceive' or 'to cheat'.
How do you pronounce it?
/enˈɡaɲo/
Did you know?
- While engaño means deception, the phrase dar gato por liebre literally means 'to give a cat for a hare' and is the standard idiom for a deceptive trade.
- The verb engañar can be used to describe someone being cheated in a game, but it can also imply someone is being unfaithful in a romantic relationship.
- Spanish has a specific distinction between engaño as a lie and estafa, which refers specifically to deception for financial gain or fraud.
Examples in context
- El engaño se descubrió rápidamenteThe deception was quickly uncovered
- Sus palabras estaban llenas de falsedadHis words were full of falsehood
- La película estuvo llena de intriga y engañosThe movie was filled with intrigue and deception
- No me digas mentirasDon't tell me lies
- Me tendieron una trampaThey set a trap for me
- No te metas con él, es un pilloDon't mess with him, he's a tricky guy
- Fue un engaño muy elaborado.It was a very elaborate deception.
- No caí en su engaño.I did not fall for his deception.
- El engaño se descubrió rápidamente.The deception was discovered quickly.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are discussing a suspicious online advertisement.
- SofíaMira este anuncio, parece demasiado bueno.Look at this ad, it seems too good.
- MateoTen cuidado, Sofía, podría ser un engaño.Be careful, Sofía, it could be a deception.
- SofíaTienes razón, Mateo. No compraré nada.You are right, Mateo. I will not buy anything.
- MateoEs mejor evitar cualquier riesgo.It is better to avoid any risk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “deception” translations and entries engaño, socaliña, decebimiento, engañifa, 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.
