Meaning and behavior
What does mentir mean?
Mentir means to lie (say something untrue). VerbyGo classifies it as an irregular -IR verb. It is non-reflexive.
Build from reliable parts
Principal forms
- Infinitive
- mentir
- Gerund
- mintiendo
- Past participle
- mentido
Verified irregular pattern
How this verb behaves
Its forms differ from a fully regular -ir pattern in the present, preterite.
Conjugation guide
Present forms
Present forms
Present
Use the present forms of mentir for current situations, routines and actions that happen regularly.
| Subject | Mentir |
|---|---|
| yo | miento |
| tú | mientes |
| él / ella / usted | miente |
| nosotros / nosotras | mentimos |
| vosotros / vosotras | mentís |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | mienten |
Present forms
Present progressive
Use present estar with mintiendo for an action in progress now.
| Subject | Mentir |
|---|---|
| yo | estoy mintiendo |
| tú | estás mintiendo |
| él / ella / usted | está mintiendo |
| nosotros / nosotras | estamos mintiendo |
| vosotros / vosotras | estáis mintiendo |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | están mintiendo |
Present forms
Present perfect continuous
Use present haber, estado and mintiendo to emphasize an activity continuing into the present.
| Subject | Mentir |
|---|---|
| yo | he estado mintiendo |
| tú | has estado mintiendo |
| él / ella / usted | ha estado mintiendo |
| nosotros / nosotras | hemos estado mintiendo |
| vosotros / vosotras | habéis estado mintiendo |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | han estado mintiendo |
Conjugation guide
Past forms
Past forms
Preterite
Use the preterite when the action of mentir is presented as completed in the past.
| Subject | Mentir |
|---|---|
| yo | mentí |
| tú | mentiste |
| él / ella / usted | mintió |
| nosotros / nosotras | mentimos |
| vosotros / vosotras | mentisteis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | mintieron |
Past forms
Imperfect past
Use the imperfect for repeated or ongoing past uses of mentir, or for background information.
| Subject | Mentir |
|---|---|
| yo | mentía |
| tú | mentías |
| él / ella / usted | mentía |
| nosotros / nosotras | mentíamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | mentíais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | mentían |
Conjugation guide
Future and conditional
Future and conditional
Simple future
Use the future forms of mentir for predictions, promises and future statements.
| Subject | Mentir |
|---|---|
| yo | mentiré |
| tú | mentirás |
| él / ella / usted | mentirá |
| nosotros / nosotras | mentiremos |
| vosotros / vosotras | mentiréis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | mentirán |
Conjugation guide
Subjunctive forms
Subjunctive forms
Present subjunctive
Use these forms when a current wish, reaction, doubt or another trigger requires the subjunctive.
| Subject | Mentir |
|---|---|
| yo | mienta |
| tú | mientas |
| él / ella / usted | mienta |
| nosotros / nosotras | mintamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | mintáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | mientan |
Subjunctive forms
Imperfect subjunctive
Use these forms for past subjunctive contexts and hypothetical structures; the equivalent -se series is also accepted where supplied.
| Subject | Mentir |
|---|---|
| yo | mintieraAlso accepted: mintiese |
| tú | mintierasAlso accepted: mintieses |
| él / ella / usted | mintieraAlso accepted: mintiese |
| nosotros / nosotras | mintiéramosAlso accepted: mintiésemos |
| vosotros / vosotras | mintieraisAlso accepted: mintieseis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | mintieranAlso accepted: mintiesen |
Conjugation guide
Commands
Commands
Affirmative commands
Choose the affirmative command of mentir that matches the person being addressed.
| Subject | Mentir |
|---|---|
| tú | miente |
| usted | mienta |
| nosotros / nosotras | mintamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | mentid |
| ustedes | mientan |
Commands
Negative commands
Use no with the matching command form of mentir.
| Subject | Mentir |
|---|---|
| tú | no mientas |
| usted | no mienta |
| nosotros / nosotras | no mintamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | no mintáis |
| ustedes | no mientan |
Verified context
Examples with mentir
Te mentí la otra noche.
I lied to you the other night.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FRÉl mintió acerca de eso.
He lied about it.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FRÉl me mintió en mi cara.
He lied to my face.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Quick answers
Mentir FAQ
What does mentir mean?
Mentir means to lie (say something untrue).
Is mentir regular or irregular?
Mentir is a irregular -IR verb.
What is the gerund of mentir?
The gerund of mentir is mintiendo.
What is the past participle of mentir?
The past participle of mentir is mentido.
How is mentir conjugated in the present?
The verified public subject set is miento, mientes, miente, mentimos, mienten.
How is mentir conjugated in the preterite?
The verified public subject set is mentí, mentiste, mintió, mentimos, mintieron.
Created by Alejandro Ruiz, an experienced Spanish tutor.