mentire
/menˈti.re/
The Italian verb for 'lie' (to tell an intentional untruth) is mentire.
mentire is used when someone intentionally tells an untruth. In formal contexts, if you are referring specifically to perjury or false testimony, the term Falsa testimonianza is more appropriate. If you want to describe deceit, trickery or cunning, use Inganno.
Meaning: tell an intentional untruth (verb)
Which one should you use?
mentire is the verb form, whereas bugia, menzogna and frottola are nouns used to describe the lie itself. bugia is the most common noun used to refer to a single lie, while menzogna is a more formal or serious noun for a lie or falsehood.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
mentire is an intransitive verb and does not take a direct object. Instead, you use the preposition a to indicate the person being lied to (e.g., mentire a).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /menˈti.re/.
Did you know?
- The phrase mentire come respirare means 'to lie like breathing', used to describe someone who lies habitually and effortlessly.
- The word frottola is an old-fashioned way to refer to a lie, but it also originally meant a short, light song or a folk tune.
- While bugia is the standard word for a lie, Italians often use the diminutive bugiardino to describe a 'little lie' or a harmless, white lie.
Examples in context
- Non mentire a loro.Don't lie to them.Tatoeba #5784709 by Guybrush88, translation #3907180 by CH
- Non ti mentirei mai.I would never lie to you.Tatoeba #2486090 by Guybrush88, translation #2427900 by Hybrid
- Non vi mentirei mai.I'd never lie to you.Tatoeba #2486092 by Guybrush88, translation #6440428 by CK
- Non tollero le menzogne.I don't tolerate lies.
- Ha detto una menzogna sfacciata.He/she told a shameless lie.
- Il reato di falsa testimonianza è molto grave.The crime of perjury is very serious.
- Mi hanno ingannato con una promessa vuota.They tricked me with an empty promise.
- Mi ha raccontato una bugia per evitare la punizione.He/she told me a lie to avoid punishment.
- Non credere a tutto, potrebbero essere solo bugie.Don't believe everything, it could all be lies.
- Non prendere sul serio quello che ha detto, è solo una frottola.Don't take what he/she said seriously, it's just a fib.
- Mio nonno era bravo a raccontare frottole divertenti.My grandfather was good at telling funny fibs.
- 192 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are talking about a broken vase.
- FrancescoChiara, perché devi sempre mentire?Chiara, why do you always have to lie?
- ChiaraNon sto mentendo, è stato il gatto!I am not lying, it was the cat!
- FrancescoSmetti di mentire a me.Stop lying to me.
- ChiaraVa bene, scusa Francesco.Alright, sorry Francesco.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lie” translations and entries mentire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
