Affermare

Affermare is an Italian verb meaning to affirm, assert, declare, or confirm something. It can also mean to strengthen or corroborate a claim. The reflexive form, affermarsi, means to establish oneself or to become established in a field or situation.

Etymology and sense: Affermare comes from Latin affirmare, from ad- “toward” and firmare “to make firm.” In Italian it is used both in a factual sense (affermare una tiera) and to report beliefs or statements (afferrare? not relevant). The verb is common in formal, written, and journalistic contexts.

Usage and grammar: Affermare takes a direct object when stating a fact or position (affermare una tesi, un’immagine). It is frequently followed by che + clause (ha affermato che la decisione è stata presa) or by di + infinito when reporting what someone claims (ha affermato di non voler partecipare). It forms appeared with avere in compound tenses: ho affermato, hai affermato, ha affermato, etc. The present indicative forms are io affermo, tu affermi, lui/lei afferma, noi affermiamo, voi affermate, loro affermano. The present subjunctive is che io affermi, che tu affermi, che lui affermi, che noi affermiamo, che voi affermiate, che loro affermino.

Related terms: The noun affermazione denotes an assertion or statement; affermamento (less common) can mean strengthening or confirmation. The verb has several near-synonyms, including sostenere, dichiarare, and asserire, depending on nuance and formality. The reflexive affermarsi means to assert oneself or to achieve recognition or establishment in a field.