Learn Italian: Questo non è vero.

Questo non è vero.

This is not true.

Breakdown of Questo non è vero.

true / right? (tag question)

Questions & Answers about Questo non è vero.

Why is the word order non è instead of è non?

In Italian, the negative word non always goes directly before the verb it is negating. While English says 'is not', the rule for Italian basic negation is 'not is'.

Why does è have an accent mark on it?

The accent mark changes the meaning of the word! With the accent, è means 'is'. Without the accent, e means 'and'.

Why do questo and vero both end in -o?

When talking about a general idea, statement, or situation rather than a specific masculine or feminine noun, Italian defaults to the masculine singular form. That is why both the pronoun questo (this) and the adjective vero (true) use the masculine -o ending.

Could I just say Non è vero without questo?

Yes! Italian often drops the subject, so Non è vero (It is not true) is a perfectly complete and very common sentence. Keeping questo at the beginning just adds emphasis, like pointing your finger and saying 'This specific thing is not true.'