Lie in Portuguese

How are you people? Are you ready to study Portuguese? Are you good to pick someone on a lie? Do you think it is necessary to know a lot about a language to find out when someone is lying? Doesn’t matter if your answer is yes or no, one thing you’ll agree with me: it’s important to know the verb we use to talk about that. Right? Then come with us to learn lie in Portuguese. Take a look:

Verb Mentir: To Lie in Portuguese

Do you consider yourself a liar? Do you think that you lie a lot or maybe just when necessary? There are some people that think that you can’t live without lying… And then there are some that believe that you mustn’t lie. What’s your opinion? I think that we must live without lies… Or was that just a lie? You’ll never know *evil laugh*!

Do you know someone that lies way more than necessary? I do! Is an almost boy from one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. Can you guess who I’m talking about? No? Nothing? Almost there? YES IT’S HIM: PINÓQUIO! Do you think that he would enjoy learning Portuguese? He would probably learn how to lie very convincingly in Portuguese also, right?

Now it’s time for us to learn the verb mentir conjugation in Portuguese. Mentir is an irregular verb with termination -IR. It’s important for you to take a look at the endings highlighted and the irregularities marked with an asterisk on the tables down below.

Indicative

Imperative

Subjunctive

Other Tenses

What do you think, guys? Easy right? But tell us: What do you think about lying? Do you think it is necessary to lie sometimes? Being it good or bad, one thing is certain, you can’t lie about how beautiful our city is. Have you seen it? In person, I mean. Come see the beautiful Copacabana beach learning Portuguese at our school!

Expressions from Lie in Portuguese!

Let’s first check out some expressions that are synonyms for lie in Portuguese. They all mean the same thing: someone is telling an obvious lie!

• Mentira (Lie)
• História da Carochina (Stories from a liar)
• História para boi dormir (Stories to make an ox sleep)
• Conversa de pescador (Fishermen talk)
• Conversa fiada (Conversation full of lies)

We also have other expressions related to lying in Portuguese, take a look at some!

• Mentiroso (Liar): the most common way to call out a liar.
• Ter duas caras (Be two faced): when someone is being obviously fake towards someone with their attitudes;
• Beijo de Judas (Judas’ kiss): when someone offers you something, but under false pretenses;
• Lágrimas de crocodilo (Crocodile tears): when someone is fake crying to obtain something;
• 171: this is actually the number of a crime in our penal code, but soon turned out to become a slang. 171 means someone that is a scammer, that can’t be trusted;
• Pinóquio (Pinocchio): very much used with kids, is often used as a way to call out a liar;

Exercise about Lie in Portuguese

You know that now is your time to shine, right? Show us that you’ve really learned the verb mentir conjugation in Portuguese. Pay attention to the sentences and choose wisely. In every case you must choose the answer that is correct.

1. a) Mês passado ele mentiu sobre a nota no CELPE-Bras.
   b) Mês passado ele mente sobre a nota no CELPE-Bras.
   c) Mês passado ele mentem sobre a nota no CELPE-Bras.
   .
2. a) Mariana pediu para que nós não mentir para ela.
   b) Mariana pediu para que nós não mentíssemos para ela.
   c) Mariana pediu para nós não mentimos para ela.
   .
3. a) Dizem que os capricornianos mentem muito.
   b) Dizem que os capricornianos mintam muito.
   c) Dizem que os capricornianos mentirão muito.
   .
4. a) Os presidentes não devem mentir para seu povo.
   b) Os presidentes não devem mentirem para seu povo.
   c) Os presidentes não devem mentem para seu povo.
   .
5. a) Quem diz que nunca mentiu, está mentindo.
   b) Quem diz que nunca mentirá, está mentindo.
   c) Quem diz que nunca mentirei, está mentindo.
   .
6. a) Pedro me perguntou o que eu achei de sua nova tatuagem e eu mentirei.
   b) Pedro me perguntou o que eu achei de sua nova tatuagem e eu mentiu.
   c) Pedro me perguntou o que eu achei de sua nova tatuagem e eu menti.
   .
7. a) Ela prometeu que ela nunca mentiram para mim.
   b) Ela prometeu que ela nunca mentiria para mim.
   c) Ela prometeu que ela nunca mentimos para mim.
   .
8. a) As pessoas mente porque têm medo da verdade.
   b) As pessoas menti porque têm medo da verdade.
   c) As pessoas mentem porque têm medo da verdade.
   .
9. a) Quando eu era criança, eu minto muito.
   b) Quando eu era criança, eu mentiu muito.
   c) Quando eu era criança, eu mentia muito.
   .
10. a) Eu achei que ele falava a verdade, mas ele estava mentindo.
    b) Eu achei que ele falava a verdade, mas ele estava mentiram.
    c) Eu achei que ele falava a verdade, mas ele estava mentiu.

April Fools’ in Brazil

Before you leave… there’s a very important thing we have to talk about: APRIL FOOLS’! Do you know this day? In Brazil we call it O dia da mentira (Day of Lying) and we celebrate it on April 1st. During this day Brazilians like to mentir in Portuguese, telling jokes and playing a lot of pranks.

That was verb lie in Portuguese! Have you ever heard the expression Mentira tem perna curta? It means that if you lie, people will find the truth very soon. What do you think about this? Lying is a bad thing or it’s necessary? Come play April Fools’ pranks in Brazil with ou team from Rio & Learn. You can come stay here with a student visa! It sounds good doesn’t it?

Hope you enjoyed this Dica do Dia!
XOXO!

Click on the links below to see more related Dicas
Open in Portuguese
IR Verbs Present Tense
Past tense of Dizer in Portuguese

Answers

1. a
2. b
3. a
4. a
5. a
6. c
7. b
8. c
9. c
10. a