Which one should you use?
The form me engañaste is used in informal situations. If you are addressing someone using the formal 'usted', you would use me engañó instead. Additionally, Ha sido infiel is a formal way to express that someone has been unfaithful.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Puerto Rico, Me metiste los cuernos is an alternative expression meaning 'You cheated on me.' In Argentina, the colloquial phrase Me cagaste can be used to mean 'You screwed me over' or 'You betrayed me.'
How does it change in a sentence?
The form me engañaste uses the preterite tense, which implies the act of cheating is a completed event in the past.
How do you pronounce it?
/me enɡaɲaste/
When do people say it?
A colloquial way to express being cheated on is to use the phrase Me pusiste los cuernos, which literally means 'You put horns on me.'
Did you know?
- The imagery of 'horns' in me pusiste los cuernos is so ingrained in the culture that people may jokingly mime horns with their fingers when mentioning a suspected cheater.
- The word engañar shares the same root as the word engaño, which can mean 'deception' but in some historical contexts also referred to a 'trap' or 'snare' used in hunting.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the phrase poner los cuernos connects infidelity to the image of a person being 'horned'. This is why a person who has been cheated on is often called a cornudo.
Examples in context
- Me engañaste con tu exYou cheated on me with your ex
- Sé que me engañaste con tu ex.I know you cheated on me with your ex.
- Todo terminó porque me engañaste.Everything ended because you cheated on me.
Example conversation
Lucía confronts Mateo about his infidelity in a coffee shop.
- LucíaMateo, me engañaste y no puedo más.Mateo, you cheated on me and I can't take it anymore.
- MateoLucía, por favor, déjame explicarte.Lucía, please, let me explain to you.
- LucíaNo quiero escuchar nada de ti.I don't want to hear anything from you.
- MateoLo siento mucho, no fue mi intención.I am so sorry, it wasn't my intention.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
