estás mintiendo
/estas mintjendo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you're lying" is translated into Spanish as estás mintiendo.
estás mintiendo is a statement used to tell someone that they are not telling the truth.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase uses the present continuous tense, which consists of the auxiliary verb estar (to be) and the gerund mintiendo (lying).
Which one should you use?
While estás mintiendo emphasizes the ongoing action of lying right now, the simple present form mientes can be used to state a general fact about someone's character or a habitual action.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "you're lying" to someone in a formal context using usted, you must change estás to está. If you are addressing a group of people, use están mintiendo instead of estás mintiendo.
Did you know?
- While English speakers often say 'you are kidding', Spanish speakers might say me estás tomando el pelo, which literally means 'you are pulling my hair'.
- If you want to accuse someone of lying in a more colorful way, you can say estás vendiendo humo, which translates to 'you are selling smoke'.
- In some dialects, the word mentira is used as an intensifier in the phrase de mentira, which means 'fake' or 'pretend'. For example, dinero de mentira refers to play money.
Examples in context
- Creo que estás mintiendo.I think you're lying.This sentence is useful for expressing your own belief that the person is lying using estás mintiendo.Tatoeba #1880013 by hayastan, translation #1879826 by Spamster
- Estás mintiendo otra vez.You're lying again.This sentence is useful for noting that the action of lying is happening again using estás mintiendo.Tatoeba #4783089 by DarkHollow, translation #2218202 by CK
- Tom cree que estás mintiendo.Tom thinks you're lying.This sentence is useful for reporting someone else's thought regarding estás mintiendo.Tatoeba #1278925 by marcelostockle, translation #1141131 by CK
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are arguing about a broken vase.
- SofíaTú rompiste el jarrón, Alejandro.You broke the vase, Alejandro.
- AlejandroNo fue yo, fue el gato.It wasn't me, it was the cat.
- SofíaNo me engañes, estás mintiendo.Don't fool me, you're lying.
- AlejandroLo juro, no soy yo.I swear, it's not me.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
