smentire — Italian conjugation
to deny
Indicative
Present (Presente) Irregular
The presente covers habits, ongoing situations, and plans about to start — much like English “I study” and “I am studying”. One present tense does both in Italian.
Lavora da casa tre giorni a settimana.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | smentisco | I deny |
| tu | smentisci | you deny |
| lui/lei | smentisce | he/she/it denies |
| noi | smentiamo | we deny |
| voi | smentite | you (pl.) deny |
| loro | smentiscono | they deny |
Simple past (Passato remoto) Regular
The passato remoto tells a completed, narrative past, especially in the south and in literature. The passato prossimo is the normal spoken past in the north, so you choose register and region, not a difference in time alone.
Quella sera arrivò tardi, senza alibi.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | smentii | I denied |
| tu | smentisti | you denied |
| lui/lei | smentì | he/she/it denied |
| noi | smentimmo | we denied |
| voi | smentiste | you (pl.) denied |
| loro | smentirono | they denied |
Imperfect (Imperfetto) Regular
The imperfetto is for incomplete past actions, context, and repeated or habitual situations without a clear end. The passato prossimo, not the remoto, is its usual “event” partner in speech.
Da bambina passavo le estati al mare.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| io | smentivo |
| tu | smentivi |
| lui/lei | smentiva |
| noi | smentivamo |
| voi | smentivate |
| loro | smentivano |
Conditional (Condizionale) Regular
The condizionale is for polite “would you…”, first-condition hypotheticals, and reported future from a past point of view. The classic if-chain is se + imperfetto → condizionale.
Potresti alzare un poco la voce?
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | smentirei | I would deny |
| tu | smentiresti | you would deny |
| lui/lei | smentirebbe | he/she/it would deny |
| noi | smentiremmo | we would deny |
| voi | smentireste | you (pl.) would deny |
| loro | smentirebbero | they would deny |
Future (Futuro semplice) Regular
The futuro semplice is for predictions and far decisions. In speech you often hear the present (with a time adverb) or a paraphrase, and a famous trick is the futuro di probabilità for a present guess: saranno le tre.
Domani partiremo all'alba.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | smentirò | I will deny |
| tu | smentirai | you will deny |
| lui/lei | smentirà | he/she/it will deny |
| noi | smentiremo | we will deny |
| voi | smentirete | you (pl.) will deny |
| loro | smentiranno | they will deny |
Present perfect (Passato prossimo) Regular
The passato prossimo is the workhorse preterit-like past in the north and in everyday Italian: avere/essere + participle, essere for reflexives, motion, and other change-of-state patterns.
Siamo andati a piedi, poi abbiamo preso l'autobus.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | ho smentito | I have denied |
| tu | hai smentito | you have denied |
| lui/lei | ha smentito | he/she/it has denied |
| noi | abbiamo smentito | we have denied |
| voi | avete smentito | you (pl.) have denied |
| loro | hanno smentito | they have denied |
Pluperfect (Trapassato prossimo) Regular
The trapassato prossimo is “further in the past than another past” — the Italian pluperfect. It pairs with a main past clause to mark sequence.
Avevamo già mangiato quando suonò il telefono.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | avevo smentito | I had denied |
| tu | avevi smentito | you had denied |
| lui/lei | aveva smentito | he/she/it had denied |
| noi | avevamo smentito | we had denied |
| voi | avevate smentito | you (pl.) had denied |
| loro | avevano smentito | they had denied |
Conditional perfect (Condizionale passato) Regular
The condizionale passato is for unreal or missed past results and often appears with se + trapassato prossimo in the protasis.
Avrei accettato, se mi avessero avvisato in tempo.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| io | avrei smentito |
| tu | avresti smentito |
| lui/lei | avrebbe smentito |
| noi | avremmo smentito |
| voi | avreste smentito |
| loro | avrebbero smentito |
Future perfect (Futuro anteriore) Regular
The futuro anteriore says something will already be over before a still-later future, or, like the French, can express a logical guess about a past result.
Entro le cinque, avrà già lasciato l'ufficio.
| Pronoun | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| io | avrò smentito | I will have denied |
| tu | avrai smentito | you will have denied |
| lui/lei | avrà smentito | he/she/it will have denied |
| noi | avremo smentito | we will have denied |
| voi | avrete smentito | you (pl.) will have denied |
| loro | avranno smentito | they will have denied |
Subjunctive
Present subjunctive (Congiuntivo presente) Irregular
The congiuntivo presente is required after many verbs and fixed phrases of will, fear, purpose, and doubt. Impersonal and semi-impersonal triggers (è importante che) also force the subjunctive mood.
Penso che sia la scelta giusta.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| io | smentisca |
| tu | smentisca |
| lui/lei | smentisca |
| noi | smentiamo |
| voi | smentiate |
| loro | smentiscano |
Imperfect subjunctive (Congiuntivo imperfetto) Regular
The congiuntivo imperfetto is the past of the congiuntivo system after a past matrix clause and in se + congi. imperf. → condizionale with unreal conditions.
Se avessi più tempo, viaggerei ogni mese.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| io | smentissi |
| tu | smentissi |
| lui/lei | smentisse |
| noi | smentissimo |
| voi | smentiste |
| loro | smentissero |
Other forms
Imperative (affirmative) (Imperativo) Regular
The affirmative imperativo reuses the tu form as 3sg for -are verbs, while other conjugations use the normal tu present. It is the direct command register.
Raccontami com'è andata l'esame.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| tu | smentisci |
| lui/lei | smentisca |
| noi | smentiamo |
| voi | smentite |
| loro | smentiscano |
Imperative (negative) (Imperativo negativo) Regular
Negative commands use non + full infinitive in modern Italian, which is a distinctive rule compared to other Romance languages. Polite or indirect “please don’t” can still soften the tone in context.
Non aprire quella finestra, per favore.
| Pronoun | Italian |
|---|---|
| tu | non smentire |
| lui/lei | non smentisca |
| noi | non smentiamo |
| voi | non smentite |
| loro | non smentiscano |