mentí
/menti/from spelling rules
The English phrase "lied" translates to Spanish as mentí.
This term is the past tense of the verb meaning to say something that is not true.
How does it change in a sentence?
mentí is the first-person singular (I lied), mentiste is the second-person singular (you lied), mintió is the third-person singular (he/she/it lied) and mentimos is the first-person plural (we lied).
How do you pronounce it?
/menti/
Did you know?
- Spanish speakers may use the expression mentir como respira to describe someone who lies as naturally as they breathe.
- In certain Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone a mentiroso can be a playful tease between friends, whereas in English, calling someone a 'liar' often carries a much heavier social weight.
- The noun related to this verb, mentira, is often used in the idiomatic expression una mentira piadosa, which translates to 'a white lie'.
Examples in context
- Yo le mentí a Tom.I lied to Tom.This sentence is useful for showing how to use mentí when talking about lying to a specific person.Tatoeba #4603218 by Francisco_M, translation #2261959 by CK
- Le mentí a mi novia sobre mi edad.I lied to my girlfriend about my age.This sentence shows how to use mentí when lying to a girlfriend about a specific detail.Tatoeba #1503345 by marcelostockle, translation #1109904 by Scott
- Le mentí a mi novio sobre mi edad.I lied to my boyfriend about my age.This sentence shows how to use mentí when lying to a boyfriend about a specific detail.Tatoeba #1503346 by marcelostockle, translation #1109903 by Scott
- Él me engañó al decirme que había pagado la facturaHe lied to me by telling me he had paid the bill
- No confíes en él, te mintióDon't trust him, he lied to you
- El testigo engañó al tribunal al proporcionar una falsa coartadaThe witness lied to the court by providing a false alibi
- No puedo creer que me hayas mentido sobre algo tan trivialI can't believe you lied to me about something so trivial
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel is apologizing to María for not telling her the truth.
- María¿Por qué no me dijiste la verdad?Why didn't you tell me the truth?
- DanielLo siento, María, yo te mentí.I'm sorry, María, I lied to you.
- MaríaEso me duele mucho.That hurts me a lot.
- DanielNo volveré a hacerlo, lo prometo.I won't do it again, I promise.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
