mentendo

Mentendo is an Italian term that functions as the gerund form of the verb mentire, meaning to lie. As a gerund, mentendo denotes the act of lying and is primarily used in constructions with the auxiliary stare to express ongoing action, such as sta mentendo, which translates to is lying. It can also appear in past or other tenses when combined with appropriate auxiliary forms, for example stava mentendo (“was lying”). In everyday Italian, the common way to refer to lying in the moment is to use the finite verb form (mentire) or the present tense with an auxiliary like sta.

Etymology and cognates: Mentendo derives from the Latin verb mentīrī (to lie). Italian retains a parallel system of gerunds formed with -endo for many -ire verbs, including mentire, yielding mentendo. Cross-language cognates exist in Spanish (mentiendo) and other Romance languages, reflecting a shared semantic root related to deception or falsehood.

Usage and notes: In contemporary Italian, mentendo appears most often as part of a verb phrase rather than as a standalone noun. It is common in narrative and dialogue to convey immediacy about lying, as in statements like “Sta mentendo.” The form should be distinguished from similar words in other Romance languages, which may have analogous but orthographically different forms.

See also: mentire, bugia, verità, italiano verbs of deception.

This article provides a concise overview of mentendo as a grammatical form in Italian and its basic usage in expressing ongoing deception.