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mentir

lie

verb mahn-TEER Common
Communication Speech

Origin: From Latin mentiri (to lie, deceive).

Usage Note

Mentir is an irregular -ir verb: je mens, tu mens, il ment — no 't' is added in the third person since it's already in the stem. The noun un mensonge (a lie) and un menteur / une menteuse (a liar) come from the same root. Mentir comme un arracheur de dents (to lie like a tooth-puller) is a colourful idiom for compulsive lying.

Examples

"Elle ne ment jamais à ses amis."

Natural Translation

She never lies to her friends.

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