Nous ne leur mentons jamais.

Questions & Answers about Nous ne leur mentons jamais.

Why do we use leur here instead of les?
In French, the verb for to lie is mentir à (literally to lie to someone). Because it connects with the preposition à, it requires an indirect object. Leur is the indirect object pronoun for to them, while les is only used for direct objects.
Where exactly does leur go in a negative sentence like this?
Object pronouns like leur always stick directly to the front of the verb. When you make the sentence negative with ne ... jamais (never), those negative words wrap around that whole pronoun-verb package like a sandwich: ne + leur mentons + jamais.
Doesn't the word leur usually mean their?
It can, but it has two completely different jobs! When leur is placed right before a noun (like leur voiture - their car), it means their. But when it is placed right before a verb, as it is in this sentence, it is an indirect object pronoun meaning to them.
What is the infinitive of mentons and why doesn't it have an iss in the middle?
The verb is mentir (to lie). Although it ends in -ir, it belongs to a group of irregular -ir verbs that includes dormir (to sleep) and partir (to leave). Instead of the regular pattern (like nous finissons), you drop the -tir and add the standard ending to get nous mentons.

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