To write an indirect statement in Latin, you follow a specific structure based on the core rule: Accusative Subject + Infinitive Verb.
The Core Rule Explained
According to Latin grammar, an indirect statement (often introduced by verbs of saying, thinking, knowing, hearing, etc.) uses an Accusative Subject and an Infinitive Verb. Crucially, unlike in English, there is no "that" conjunction used to introduce the indirect statement in Latin.
This structure differs significantly from English, where we might say "He says that he is coming." In Latin, this would be structured more like "He says him to be coming."
Understanding the Components
Let's break down the essential parts:
- Accusative Subject: The noun or pronoun that is the subject of the original direct statement is put into the accusative case when it becomes the subject of the indirect statement.
- Infinitive Verb: The main verb of the original direct statement is changed into an infinitive form. Latin possesses a full range of infinitives, encompassing all six possibilities across different voices and tenses.
The Role of Infinitives
As the reference notes, Latin has a full set of infinitives:
- Present Active Infinitive (e.g., amāre - to love)
- Present Passive Infinitive (e.g., amārī - to be loved)
- Perfect Active Infinitive (e.g., amāvisse - to have loved)
- Perfect Passive Infinitive (e.g., amātus/a/um esse - to have been loved)
- Future Active Infinitive (e.g., amātūrus/a/um esse - to be about to love)
- Future Passive Infinitive (e.g., amātum īrī - to be about to be loved)
The choice of infinitive tense (Present, Perfect, or Future) indicates the time of the action in the indirect statement relative to the time of the main verb (the verb of saying, thinking, etc.).
| Element | Case/Form | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Verb | Indicative | Verb of saying, thinking, etc. | Determines relative timing |
| Subject | Accusative | Subject of the indirect idea | What the statement is about |
| Main Verb | Infinitive | Action of the indirect idea | Time is relative |
| Conjunction ("that") | None | Omitted in Latin | A key difference |
Practical Example
Let's look at how a direct statement becomes an indirect one:
- Direct Statement: Puer currit. (The boy runs.) - Puer is nominative subject, currit is present indicative verb.
- Introducing Verb (e.g., He says): Dīcit...
- Indirect Statement: The subject Puer becomes accusative (puerum). The verb currit becomes the present active infinitive (currere).
- Full Indirect Statement: Dīcit puerum currere. (He says that the boy runs / He says the boy to run).
This structure of Accusative Subject + Infinitive Verb is the fundamental way to construct indirect statements in Latin, as outlined in the provided reference.
