27.11.25: Level 1; Carolus et Maria [17][iv]; notes [1] tense usage

The information in [1] and [2] below is by no means the “whole story”, but shows you that the usage of tenses in Latin and English does not always match.

[1] conditional sentences

sī: if; as in English sī  introduces a conditional clause e.g. “[A] If I have enough money, [B] I’ll buy a new bike” i.e. the condition is [A] having enough money so that [B] can happen; the English sentence can be written the other way around and the meaning remains the same: “[B] I’ll buy a new bike, [A] if I have enough money.”

The tenses that are used in Latin to express this idea are sometimes the same as in English and sometimes different.

[i] The Latin and English tenses match i.e. Latin uses the imperfect tense and English expresses the same idea with a simple past or with “used to”

[A] Sī Gallī satis magnās cōpiās nōn habēbant, ¦ [B] saepe in perīculō erant. │ [A] If the Gauls didn’t have large troops, ¦ [B] they were often in danger.

Sī Rōmānī auxilium habēre dēbēbant, sociī auxilium dare semper parātī erant.  │ If the Romans had to have help, the allies were always prepared to give help.

Sī sociī in perīculō erant, auxilium Romānōs rogābant. │ If the allies were in danger, they used to ask the Romans for help.

[ii] These sentences refer to a condition in the future i.e. the same as the example sentence first given:

“[A] If I have enough money, [B] I’ll buy a new bike”; [A] the ‘if’ clause in English is in the present tense [If I have …] and [B], the main clause, is in the future tense.

In Latin, however, since the entire sentence refers to the future, both verbs are in the future.  

[A] Latin: future tense; English: present tense

[B] Latin and English: future tense

[A] Sī perīculum erit [future] magnum, ¦ [B] sociōs nostrōs auxilium rogābō [future].

[A] Literally: If there will be a great danger ¦ [B] I shall ask our allies for help.

Even though [A] is in the future in Latin, we would translate it as present in English

> [A] If there is a great danger, ¦ [B] I shall ask our allies for help.

Two other examples from the text:

(1)

[A] Sī fortēs erimus … ¦ [B] dux nōbis praemium dabit.

[A] Literally: If we will be brave … ¦ [B] the commander will give us a reward.

> If we are brave, the commander will give us a reward.

(2)

[A] Sī ita cupiēs, ¦ [B] māne posterō diē ad scholam ībō.

[A] Literally: If you will so desire, ¦ [B] I shall go to school on the following day in the morning.

> If you so desire, I shall go to school on the following day in the morning.

[2] The same logic in [1] above also applies here:

Ubi vir erō, ¦ mīles erō … │ When I am a man, I shall be a soldier

But the Latin sentence literally says “When I shall be a man …” i.e. the ‘when’ clause in English is present tense whereas in Latin it is in the future. The same construction exists in, for example, French:

Quand je serai grand, je serai danseur │ When I’m [literally: when I shall be] big, I’ll be a dancer.