noun

la mente

mind

Definition & meaning

  1. Mind: the part of a person associated with thinking, understanding, memory, and imagination.
  2. Mind or mastermind: a person considered as the originator of an idea or plan.
  3. Lies: a form of mentire , meaning “he,” “she,” or “it lies,” or formal “you lie.”

Grammar & Word origin

As a noun, mente is feminine: la mente; its plural is menti. It comes from Latin mens, meaning “mind.”

As a verb, mente is the third-person singular present indicative of mentire .

Italian also uses -mente as an adverb-forming suffix, roughly equivalent to English “-ly.” This suffix has the same Latin origin as the noun.

Synonyms & antonyms

  • intelletto — “intellect”; emphasizes the ability to reason rather than the mind as a whole.
  • cervello — “brain”; refers literally to the organ, but can also mean “mind” figuratively.
  • psiche — “psyche”; emphasizes a person’s psychological and emotional life.

There is no direct antonym that covers all senses of “mind.”

Common phrases & collocations

  • avere in mente — to have in mind.
  • venire in mente — to come to mind.
  • mente aperta — an open mind.
  • mente brillante — a brilliant mind.

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Examples

La mente curiosa fa molte domande.noun

The curious mind asks many questions.

Le menti aperte imparano velocemente.noun

Open minds learn quickly.

Ho agito con la mente rivolta al futuro.noun

I acted with my mind focused on the future.

La mente stanca ha bisogno di riposo.noun

The tired mind needs rest.

La mente si calma con musica dolce.noun

The mind calms down with sweet music.

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