Breakdown of Immagino che il sospettato menta.
il sospettato
the suspect
mentire
to lie
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
immaginare
to imagine
Questions & Answers about Immagino che il sospettato menta.
Why is the verb menta used instead of mente?
The phrase Immagino che (I imagine that) expresses a personal belief. In Italian, verbs of opinion and belief trigger the subjunctive mood in the following clause. Because of this, the normal present indicative mente (he lies) changes to the present subjunctive menta.
What is the infinitive of menta, and why does it end in '-a' for a 'he' subject?
The infinitive is mentire (to lie). For regular -ire verbs, the present subjunctive endings for all singular forms (I, you, he/she/it) are exactly the same and end in -a. Since the subject is il sospettato (he), the correct form is menta.
Can I drop the word che, just like we often drop the word 'that' in English?
No. In English, you can simply say 'I imagine the suspect is lying' without the word 'that'. In Italian, you cannot drop the connecting word. You must always include che to link the main verb to the subjunctive verb.
Sospettato looks like a past participle. How is it being used as a noun here?
Sospettato is indeed the past participle of sospettare (to suspect). Italian frequently turns past participles into nouns simply by placing a definite article like il in front of them. Here, il sospettato translates directly to 'the suspect'.