What's a 'mentira piadosa' in Spanish?

A 'mentira piadosa' (literally 'pious lie') is the Spanish equivalent of a 'white lie'—a small untruth told to avoid hurting someone's feelings, and the phrase carries no negative judgment since it acknowledges that sometimes dishonesty serves a kind purpose.

How do you conjugate 'mentir' in present tense?

As a stem-changing verb (e→ie), mentir conjugates as: yo miento, tú mientes, él/ella miente, nosotros mentimos, vosotros mentís, ellos mienten—the stem change occurs in all forms except nosotros and vosotros where the 'e' remains unchanged.

What's the difference between 'acostarse' and 'echarse'?

Both mean to lie down, but 'acostarse' specifically means going to bed or lying on a surface with the intention of resting or sleeping, while 'echarse' (or 'tumbarse' in Spain) is more casual and can mean flopping down briefly on a couch, the floor, or grass without necessarily implying sleep.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

How to Say Lie in Spanish

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Mentira · noun · mehn-TEE-rah

The English word 'lie' has two distinct meanings in Spanish: 'mentira' (noun: a falsehood) or 'mentir' (verb: to tell a lie), and separately 'acostarse' (verb: to lie down). Unlike English where these meanings share a word, Spanish uses completely different vocabulary for each, eliminating ambiguity.

For the falsehood: 'mentira' is mehn-TEE-rah, and 'mentir' is mehn-TEER. For lying down: 'acostarse' is ah-kohs-TAHR-seh. All have clear, distinct pronunciations.

Eso que dijiste es una mentira y lo sabes.

What you said is a lie and you know it.

Lie in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for lie, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
mentira	lie	mehn-TEE-rah	Default, widely understood
mentir	lie		verb: to lie
acostarse	lie		verb: to lie down

How Native Speakers Use Mentira

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Accusation

¡No me mientas! Sé que eso es una mentira.

Don't lie to me! I know that's a lie.

Using both the verb 'mentir' and noun 'mentira' in an emotional confrontation.

Lying down

Voy a acostarme un rato porque me duele la cabeza.

I'm going to lie down for a while because my head hurts.

Using 'acostarse' for the physical act of reclining.

White lie

A veces una mentira piadosa es mejor que la verdad cruel.

Sometimes a white lie is better than the cruel truth.

'Mentira piadosa' is the Spanish expression for a white lie.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Mentira

Confusing the two meanings of 'lie'

Incorrect: Quiero mentir en la cama. (saying 'I want to lie in bed')

Correct: Quiero acostarme en la cama.

'Mentir' only means to tell a falsehood. For the physical action of lying down, use 'acostarse' or 'recostarse.' This confusion doesn't exist for native Spanish speakers since the words are completely different.

Incorrect stem change in 'mentir'

Incorrect: Él mente todo el tiempo.

Correct: Él miente todo el tiempo.

'Mentir' is a stem-changing verb (e→ie) in the present tense. The correct third person form is 'miente,' not 'mente' (which means 'mind' as a noun).

Lock in Lie Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Mentira used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using mentira in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Eso que dijiste es una mentira y lo sabes. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Lie in Spanish

What's a 'mentira piadosa' in Spanish?: A 'mentira piadosa' (literally 'pious lie') is the Spanish equivalent of a 'white lie'—a small untruth told to avoid hurting someone's feelings, and the phrase carries no negative judgment since it acknowledges that sometimes dishonesty serves a kind purpose.
How do you conjugate 'mentir' in present tense?: As a stem-changing verb (e→ie), mentir conjugates as: yo miento, tú mientes, él/ella miente, nosotros mentimos, vosotros mentís, ellos mienten—the stem change occurs in all forms except nosotros and vosotros where the 'e' remains unchanged.
What's the difference between 'acostarse' and 'echarse'?: Both mean to lie down, but 'acostarse' specifically means going to bed or lying on a surface with the intention of resting or sleeping, while 'echarse' (or 'tumbarse' in Spain) is more casual and can mean flopping down briefly on a couch, the floor, or grass without necessarily implying sleep.