Mentir is the most common way to say "to lie" in French. But the French language, with its rich vocabulary, offers many other ways to express the concept of a "lie," from a little white lie to a serious deception. Knowing these nuances can significantly enhance your conversational skills and understanding of French culture. Let's explore 9 different ways to talk about "lies" in French, and when to use each one!

The standard 'lie' (noun) – le mensonge

The standard 'lie' (noun) – le mensonge

Le mensonge is the most common and direct word for "lie" as a noun in French.

Being a masculine noun, le mensonge (the lie) will always be preceded by masculine articles. Its plural form is les mensonges (the lies).<ul><li>le mensonge - a single lie</li><li>les mensonges - multiple lies</li></ul>

Le mensonge can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It's the general term for any untruth.

While it simply means "a lie," le mensonge often implies a deliberate intention to deceive, rather than just an unintentional inaccuracy.

It's closely related to the verb mentir (to lie) and the nouns un menteur (a male liar) or une menteuse (a female liar). Understanding these helps grasp the full concept of deception in French.

You'll frequently encounter phrases like faire un mensonge (to tell a lie) or découvrir un mensonge (to discover a lie).

The term le mensonge can range from a "white lie" (un pieux mensonge) to a serious falsehood, depending entirely on the context and the speaker's tone. The French language doesn't have as many specific gradations for "lie" as English might.

Fortunately, the context usually makes it clear how serious a mensonge is. Pay attention to surrounding words and the situation to understand its implications.

In French culture, honesty is highly valued, and le mensonge is generally viewed negatively. While "white lies" exist, a direct mensonge is often seen as a significant breach of trust.

💡 * C'est un gros mensonge ! (That's a big lie!)

• Il n'aime pas les mensonges. (He doesn't like lies.)
• Elle a été surprise en train de dire un mensonge. (She was caught telling a lie.)
• Son mensonge a causé beaucoup de problèmes. (His lie caused a lot of problems.)
• Un petit mensonge pour ne pas la vexer. (A little lie not to upset her.)

The verb 'to lie' – mentir

The verb 'to lie' – mentir

In French, the verb for 'to lie' is mentir. It's an irregular verb, but it follows a pattern similar to other common verbs ending in -ir like partir or sentir.

For instance, in the present tense, its conjugations are: je mens, tu mens, il/elle/on ment, nous mentons, vous mentez, ils/elles mentent. Notice the dropping of the 't' in the singular forms.

When you want to say 'to lie to someone', you use the preposition à before the person or pronoun. For example, mentir à quelqu'un means 'to lie to someone'.

The corresponding noun for 'a lie' is un mensonge. This masculine noun is frequently used in French to refer to the untruth itself.

While you use mentir for the action of lying, you can also 'tell a lie' or 'tell lies' using phrases like dire un mensonge (to tell a lie) or raconter des mensonges (to tell lies/stories).

Unlike English, where 'to tell a fib' or 'to mislead' might soften the impact, mentir is quite direct in French, leaving little room for ambiguity about the act of dishonesty.

💡 * Je ne mens jamais. (I never lie.)

• Il a menti à ses parents. (He lied to his parents.)
• Ne me mens pas ! (Don't lie to me!)
• C'est un gros mensonge. (It's a big lie.)
• Elle n'aime pas les mensonges. (She doesn't like lies.)

The 'white lie' or 'fib' – un petit mensonge

The 'white lie' or 'fib' – un petit mensonge

Un petit mensonge is the common French term for a "white lie" or a "fib."

This phrase literally translates to "a small lie," combining the adjective petit (small) and the noun mensonge (lie).

It refers to a falsehood told to avoid hurting someone's feelings, prevent minor trouble, or for politeness, rather than for malicious intent.

Unlike a serious lie (un gros mensonge or simply un mensonge), un petit mensonge implies a less significant deception, often considered harmless or inconsequential.

You'll frequently hear it used with the verb faire (to make/do), as in faire un petit mensonge (to tell a white lie).

While it's a less severe form of untruth, it's still acknowledged as a deviation from the truth, but one that carries less moral weight.

💡 * Elle a fait un petit mensonge pour ne pas vexer sa grand-mère. (She told a white lie not to upset her grandmother.)* C'était juste un petit mensonge, rien de grave. (It was just a fib, nothing serious.)* Il a inventé un petit mensonge sur son âge. (He made up a small lie about his age.)* Ne t'inquiète pas, c'est juste un petit mensonge. (Don't worry, it's just a white lie.)

To 'tell a lie' – dire un mensonge

To express 'to tell a lie' in French, the most common and direct phrase is dire un mensonge.

This phrase literally translates to 'to say a lie'. Dire is the verb 'to say' or 'to tell', and un mensonge is the masculine noun for 'a lie'.

While dire un mensonge is grammatically correct and widely understood, French speakers often use simpler or more idiomatic expressions in casual conversation. For instance, one might simply say mentir (to lie) or raconter des salades (to tell tall tales, literally 'to tell salads') for a more informal touch.

💡 * Il a dit un mensonge à ses parents. (He told a lie to his parents.)

• Ne dis pas de mensonges, c'est important d'être honnête. (Don't tell lies, it's important to be honest.)
• Je déteste les gens qui disent des mensonges. (I hate people who tell lies.)
• Pourquoi as-tu dit un tel mensonge? (Why did you tell such a lie?)
• Elle n'aime pas mentir, même pour une bonne cause. (She doesn't like to lie, even for a good cause.)

To 'make up a story' or 'invent a lie' – inventer une histoire

To 'make up a story' or 'invent a lie' – inventer une histoire

The French phrase inventer une histoire has a versatile meaning, capable of expressing both the innocent act of making up a story and the more serious act of inventing a lie.

In its lighter sense, it refers to the creative process of concocting a fictional narrative, much like an author or a parent telling a bedtime story. Think of it as 'to imagine a tale'.

Conversely, and often with a more negative connotation, it can mean to fabricate a falsehood or a deception. In this context, it implies an intent to mislead or conceal the truth.

This is a straightforward verb phrase. Inventer (to invent) is a regular -er verb, and une histoire (a story/history) is a common noun. Its usage is widespread in both formal and informal French.

The specific meaning of inventer une histoire is almost always determined by the surrounding context and tone. Pay attention to the situation to understand whether someone is being creative or deceptive.

💡 * Elle adore inventer des histoires pour ses enfants avant de dormir. (She loves making up stories for her children before bed.)

• Il a inventé une histoire pour justifier son retard. (He invented a lie to justify his lateness.)
• Ne m'invente pas d'histoires ! Dis-moi la vérité. (Don't make up stories for me! Tell me the truth.)
• C'est un écrivain qui invente des histoires fascinantes. (He's a writer who invents fascinating stories.)
• Je pense qu'il a inventé toute cette histoire. (I think he made up that whole story.)

The 'deception' (often involving a lie) – la tromperie

The French noun la tromperie directly translates to deception, trickery, or fraud. It refers to the act of misleading someone, often through lies or false pretenses, to gain an advantage or cause harm.

Unlike a simple 'mistake' or 'error', la tromperie implies a deliberate and calculated act designed to make someone believe something false. It encompasses a range of actions from small personal lies to large-scale scams.

The related verb is tromper, meaning to deceive, to mislead, or to trick. The adjective forms are trompeur (masculine) and trompeuse (feminine), meaning deceptive or misleading.

La tromperie always carries a strong negative connotation, indicating a breach of trust and integrity. You'll encounter it in contexts where someone has been intentionally fooled or defrauded, often in formal, legal, or ethical discussions.

The seriousness of la tromperie can vary; it can describe a minor trick in a game or a severe act of fraud with significant consequences. Its usage highlights the deliberate intent to mislead.

💡 *La tromperie dans les affaires est punie par la loi. (Deception in business is punished by law.)
*Il a été victime d'une tromperie élaborée. (He was a victim of an elaborate deception.)
*Attention aux publicités trompeuses. (Beware of misleading advertisements.)
*Ne te laisse pas tromper par son apparence. (Don't let yourself be deceived by his appearance.)
*Cette tromperie a ruiné leur confiance. (This deception ruined their trust.)

The 'tall tale' or 'big lie' (colloquial) – un bobard

In French, when you want to refer to a 'tall tale', a 'fib', or a 'big lie' in a colloquial way, the term you're looking for is un bobard.

Un bobard is an informal noun that specifically denotes a falsehood, often one that is made up or exaggerated to deceive. It carries a sense of something being fabricated rather than a simple mistake.

While similar to un mensonge (a lie), un bobard often implies a more elaborate or unbelievable story, frequently used in casual conversation to dismiss something as untrue or fabricated. It’s always masculine.

💡 * Ne crois pas tout ce qu'il dit, c'est un bobard! (Don't believe everything he says, it's a tall tale!)

• Elle a raconté un bobard pour ne pas venir à la fête. (She told a fib so she wouldn't have to come to the party.)
• Ces histoires de complot sont de purs bobards. (These conspiracy stories are pure fabrications.)
• C'est un gros bobard, il n'a jamais fait ça. (That's a big lie, he never did that.)

To 'mislead' someone – induire en erreur

To 'mislead' someone, or to cause them to make a mistake, is best expressed in French by the phrase induire en erreur.

This fixed expression uses the verb induire (to induce, to lead), which is conjugated according to the subject, followed by the prepositional phrase en erreur.

It specifically means to lead someone to a wrong conclusion or belief. This can be intentional (to deceive) or unintentional (to inadvertently cause a mistake).

While tromper means 'to deceive' or 'to cheat', induire en erreur focuses precisely on the act of causing a factual or logical error, making it more specific.

💡 * Le politicien a été accusé d'induire les électeurs en erreur. (The politician was accused of misleading the voters.)

• Ne te laisse pas induire en erreur par les fausses informations. (Don't let yourself be misled by false information.)
• Ses calculs erronés ont induit l'équipe en erreur. (His erroneous calculations misled the team.)
• J'espère que mes explications n'ont induit personne en erreur. (I hope my explanations haven't misled anyone.)

To 'spread false information' – propager une fausse information

The most direct and common way to say 'to spread false information' in French is propager une fausse information.

This phrase literally translates to 'to propagate a false information'. Propager is the verb 'to propagate' or 'to spread'. Fausse is the feminine adjective for 'false' (fausse information), and information is 'information' (feminine noun).

While propager une fausse information is precise, you will also frequently encounter terms like la désinformation (disinformation) or the anglicism les fake news to describe the phenomenon of false information being spread. The verb propager can be used with these as well, e.g., propager la désinformation.

Other verbs can also be used depending on the context. For instance, diffuser (to disseminate/broadcast) or répandre (to spread, often more physically, but can also be used for rumors) are viable alternatives. For example, diffuser de fausses nouvelles (to disseminate false news) or répandre des rumeurs (to spread rumors).

The concept of 'false information' can also be expressed with nouns like une fausse nouvelle (a false news item), une rumeur (a rumor), or un bobard (a lie, a fib, more informal). When using these, the verb propager or diffuser remains appropriate.

💡 * Ils propagent de fausses informations sur les réseaux sociaux. (They spread false information on social media.)

• Le gouvernement a démenti la propagation de fausses informations. (The government denied the spreading of false information.)
• Il est crucial de vérifier les sources avant de propager une information. (It's crucial to check sources before spreading information.)
• Les journalistes doivent lutter contre la désinformation. (Journalists must fight against disinformation.)
• Ne diffusez pas de fausses nouvelles. (Do not disseminate false news.)

Are there other ways to say 'lie' in French?

Are there other ways to say “lie” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “lie” in French. But French, like any language, has a rich vocabulary, including various terms for untruths, from formal expressions to casual slang, and even some regional specificities.

To explore further, you can do an online search for “comment dire mensonge en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local nuances.

You might find some interesting synonyms for mensonge or expressions for lying. As always, make sure to check a word’s precise definition and observe its usage in context before incorporating it into your vocabulary.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about untruths and deception.

And if you’re looking for more ways to talk about different kinds of lies, deceit, or words related to untruths in French, the WordReference entry for mensonge is an excellent resource to start with!

I hope you found this article helpful. As a final thought, here’s a common French proverb that perfectly captures the nature of untruths: Un mensonge en entraîne un autre. (One lie leads to another.)