"To cheat" in Spanish

Question

A lo largo de mis estudios del español nunca he encontrado una palabra que lleve todo el significado de la palabra to cheat en inglés. ¿Es porque no hay ninguna? He visto "engañar" y palabras así pero nunca la que signifique exactamente to cheat, como por ejemplo en un examen o incluso con un marido o esposa.

Throughout my Spanish studies I've never found a word that has all of the meaning that the English word "to cheat" has. Is that because there isn't one? I've seen engañar and words like that but I've never seen the one would mean exactly "to cheat," like for example on a test or even with a husband or wife.

Answer 1

I think that Spanish is more specific in this case, since every situation or need has its own verb.

By the way, we also understand "copiar" as to cheat in a test, although as you can think that gives another meaning to that verb (copiar would seem to have several uses), however it can be easyly understood what meaning of "copiar" we are talking about because of the context.

Still there is no one verb in Spanish with so many uses like the (terribly confusing) verb "to get".

According to RAE:

Copiar: 7. tr. En un ejercicio de examen escrito, ayudarse consultando subrepticiamente el ejercicio de otro examinando, libros o apuntes.

"otro examinando" = otro estudiante. Sí, es un lenguaje raro el de la RAE. :) - -cae-, Mar 9, 2013

Gracias, cae, aprecio la ayuda que me has dado. Hace poco aprendi que en Espana se usan "chuletas" para copiar en un examen, que son papelitos que se esconden durante un examen. :p - LaPiedraAlegre, Mar 10, 2013

Sí, he oído chuleta, aunque dónde vivo (que por cierto se habla un español con influencia mayormente mexicana pero se usa el voseo) esos papelitos se llaman "acordeones", porque se doblan asemejando ese instrumento musical. - -cae-, Mar 10, 2013

Answer 2

I don't think there is a word that you can use to say "I cheat my wife" and also use it to say "I cheat on a test".

"Engañé a mi esposa" makes sense but not "Le hice trampa a mi esposa". Same with "Hice trampa en el exámen" but you cannot say "Engañé en el exámen"... Maybe "Engañé a la profesora porque hice trampa en el exámen".

Also when you cheat you wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend you can say "Le metí los cuernos a mi novia".

Oh, thanks! That makes more sense now. :) - LaPiedraAlegre, Mar 9, 2013

And be a cheater is ser tramposo, again with games and such. - BigMike, Mar 9, 2013

Answer 3

Chuleta is a crib sheet in Castellano and in general can be used to mean someone is "cheating"

When |I went to see the doctor recently I said to her He traído mis chuletas referring to a couple of sheets of paper I'd brought for reference. She didn't raise an eyebrow so I think it worked.

Gracias, Lagartija! Si, hace poco aprendi esa palabra y es bastante divertido el significado! A lo mejor en algunos lugares se usa bistec? jaja :p - LaPiedraAlegre, Mar 10, 2013

Answer 4

I agree with the others:

Cheat on a test: Copiar

Cheat on a spouse: Engañar

Cheater (in a game): Tramposo

And cheater in a test is "copión". It is a really ofensive and strong word. =S - -cae-, Mar 9, 2013

Thanks, that's a great straightforward explanation! - LaPiedraAlegre, Mar 10, 2013