Meaning
to hit, beat
- to hit, beat (informal)
- to lead, conduct (formal)
- to bring about, cause
In a sentence
Non menare tuo fratello, parla con lui.
Don't hit your brother, talk to him.
Quella strada mena direttamente al centro storico.
That road leads directly to the historic center.
I due ragazzi hanno iniziato a menare le mani.
The two boys started throwing punches.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| menare | infinitive |
| meniamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| meno | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| menate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| meni | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| menano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| mena | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| menavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| menavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| menavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| menavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| menavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| menava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| menammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| menai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| menaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| menasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| menarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| menò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| meneremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| menerò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| menerete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| menerai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| meneranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| menerà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| meniamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| meni | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| meniate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| meni | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| menino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| meni | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| menassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| menassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| menaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| menassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| menassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| menasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| meneremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| menerei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| menereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| meneresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| menerebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| menerebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| meniamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| menate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| mena | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| menando | gerund |
| menato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Very colloquial and polysemous. For neutral “take/bring someone somewhere,” prefer portare or accompagnare; menare can sound old-fashioned, regional, or idiomatic.
- For “to beat up,” Italians often say menare qualcuno or menare le mani. Picchiare is the more straightforward, common synonym.
- With vehicles, guidare is the standard verb. Menare for “drive” is literary, dialectal, or limited to fixed expressions.