The Present Tense of Mentir is used to describe actions of lying or deceiving that are happening at the present moment. For example, Ella miente sobre su edad. (She lies about her age.)

Mentir is a stem-changing verb, meaning the stem vowel changes from ‘e’ to ‘ie’ in all forms except nosotros and vosotros. This pattern is common among Spanish verbs.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Mentir (to lie) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Mentir generally means to lie or tell an untruth, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To lie or deceive: This is the most common meaning, referring to intentionally stating something false or misleading. For example, Ella miente sobre su edad. (She lies about her age.)

To be dishonest or insincere: It can also mean to act in an untruthful or deceptive manner. For example, Él miente cuando dice que está enfermo. (He’s lying when he says he’s sick.)

To exaggerate or embellish: In some contexts, it can mean to stretch the truth or make something seem more impressive than it really is. For example, Ella miente sobre sus habilidades. (She exaggerates her abilities.)

To be unreliable or untrustworthy (colloquial): In informal speech, it can suggest that someone or something cannot be trusted or relied upon. For example, Este reloj miente, siempre marca la hora mal. (This watch lies, it always shows the wrong time.)

Examples

Examples of Mentir in the Present Tense

Ella miente sobre su edad para parecer más joven. (She lies about her age to seem younger.)

Mis amigos mienten mucho, así que no puedo confiar en ellos. (My friends lie a lot, so I can’t trust them.)

¿Por qué mientes? Dime la verdad. (Why are you lying? Tell me the truth.)

Los políticos mienten con frecuencia para ganar votos. (Politicians often lie to gain votes.)

Nosotros mentimos a nuestros padres sobre dónde estuvimos anoche. (We lied to our parents about where we were last night.)

¿Ustedes mienten sobre su experiencia laboral en las entrevistas? (Do you lie about your work experience in interviews?)

El niño miente para evitar el castigo. (The child lies to avoid punishment.)

Ellos mienten descaradamente, sin ninguna vergüenza. (They lie shamelessly, without any shame.)

¿Por qué mentís tanto? La honestidad es importante. (Why do you lie so much? Honesty is important.)

Los vendedores mienten sobre las características del producto para vender más. (Salespeople lie about the product features to sell more.)

Yo miento a veces para no herir los sentimientos de los demás. (I lie sometimes to avoid hurting others’ feelings.)

Ellas mienten sobre su edad en las aplicaciones de citas. (They lie about their age on dating apps.)

¿Por qué miente tanto? Es una mala costumbre. (Why does he lie so much? It’s a bad habit.)

Los adolescentes mienten a sus padres sobre dónde van. (Teenagers lie to their parents about where they’re going.)

Nosotros mentimos sobre nuestras calificaciones para no decepcionar a nuestros padres. (We lie about our grades to avoid disappointing our parents.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Mentir (to lie) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.