/mɑ̃tiʁ/
Translation
to lie, to tell a lie
Word origin
From Latin mentiri ('to lie, to deceive'), thought to derive from mens ('mind'), the original sense being to invent or contrive in the mind. The same root gives English 'mendacious'.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- mentiri
- English cognates
- mendacious
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular french-irregular conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | mens | mentais | mentis | mentirai | mentirais |
| tu | mens | mentais | mentis | mentiras | mentirais |
| il/elle | ment | mentait | mentit | mentira | mentirait |
| nous | mentons | mentions | mentîmes | mentirons | mentirions |
| vous | mentez | mentiez | mentîtes | mentirez | mentiriez |
| ils/elles | mentent | mentaient | mentirent | mentiront | mentiraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | mente | mentisse |
| tu | mentes | mentisses |
| il/elle | mente | mentît |
| nous | mentions | mentissions |
| vous | mentiez | mentissiez |
| ils/elles | mentent | mentissent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | mens |
| nous | mentons |
| vous | mentez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- mentant
- Past participle
- menti · mentie · mentis · menties
Examples
' ment, .
I know he is lying, his eyes always give him away.
mens , .
Do not lie to me, I want the truth right now.
.
She lied to her parents in order to go out tonight.
mentent ' .
Children sometimes lie when they are afraid of being punished.
.
It is better to tell the truth than to lie constantly.
Where this fits
Used in
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mentir: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the French word "mentir" (to lie, to tell a lie): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 8.