mentiroso
/mẽ.t͡ʃiˈɾo.zu/masculine
In Portuguese, the word for "liar" is mentiroso.
mentiroso is used to describe someone who tells lies. Depending on the context of a sentence, it can function as a noun meaning "a liar" or as an adjective meaning "lying" or "untruthful".
Meaning: one who tells lies (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word mentiroso is derived from the noun mentira, which means "lie".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on gender and number. The feminine form is mentirosa, the masculine plural is mentirosos and the feminine plural is mentirosas.
How do you pronounce it?
/mẽ.tʃiˈɾo.zu/. The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word mentira can be used as a slang exclamation, similar to how an English speaker might say 'No way!' or 'You're lying!', to express shock at a piece of news.
- If you call someone a mentiroso in a heated argument, you might be more effectively insulted by calling them a falsário, which implies they are a professional con artist rather than just someone telling a lie.
- The word mentiroso shares a common root with the Latin word mentior, which is also the ancestor of the English word 'mendacious'.
Examples in context
- Tu és um mentiroso.You're a liar.This sentence shows how to use mentiroso to address someone directly.Tatoeba #7083312 by iart61, translation #1895634 by CK
- Eu não sou mentiroso.I'm no liar.This sentence is used to deny being a mentiroso.Tatoeba #4858990 by Ricardo14, translation #1265412 by Scott
- Ele não é um mentiroso.He's not a liar.This sentence is used to state that someone else is not a mentiroso.Tatoeba #1657918 by alexmarcelo, translation #1657740 by Spamster
- Seu testemunho é falso, você é um mentiroso!Your testimony is false, you are a liar!
- Pare de inventar desculpas, você está parecendo o Pinóquio.Stop making up excuses, you're starting to look like Pinocchio.
- 60 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juliana discovers that Felipe did not do his homework.
- JulianaVocê disse que já tinha terminado!You said you had already finished!
- FelipeEu só esqueci de anotar.I just forgot to write it down.
- JulianaPara de mentir, Felipe, você é um mentiroso.Stop lying, Felipe, you are a liar.
- FelipeTudo bem, eu admito que menti.Alright, I admit that I lied.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “liar” translations and entries mentiroso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mentiroso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
