CL210: Intermediate Latin
Skidmore College/Spring, 2008
C. Welser
Potential, Deliberative, and Optative Subjunctives
So far we have only really discussed two uses of the subjunctive which do not involve
subordinate clauses or conditionals. These are the hortatory subjunctive (which is quite
common) and the independent concessive use of the subjunctive (which is not
especially common but happened to appear in our Ovid reading and related to a use of
the subjunctive in subordinate clauses that we had already discussed).
Three more independent uses of the subjunctive should be brought to your attention:
I.
POTENTIAL SUBJUNCTIVE
►The subjunctive can be used independently to express an action or situation which might
possibly or conceivably occur. In these situations it should be translated with the English
verbal auxiliaries would and might.
Present or future potential/possibility is generally expressed by the present subjunctive:
Dīcam mē stultissimum fuisse.
I would say that I was very stupid.*
Istī ūtantur tantā vī.
Such men might use such great violence.*
Nōn audeam cōgitāre dē tālibus rēbus.
I wouldn’t dare to think about such things.*
Illa audiēns, crēdās fīnem mundī accēdere.
Hearing those things, you would believe the end of the world was approaching.*
Notice the similarity of the English translations to the translations of the subjunctive in
the apodosis (the “then-clause”) of a future less vivid condition. In fact, you can think
of a sentence containing a present tense potential subjunctive as the apodosis of just
such a condition of which the protasis (the “if-clause”) is left unstated. Actually, in the
third example here, the if-clause is actually present in the form of a participle.
Remember that participles can be expressed in English with a clause beginning with
“if” (or with “when,” “since,” or “although”):
*
Illa audiēns, crēdās fīnem mundī accēdere.
If you heard those things, you would believe the end of the world was approaching.
1
Past potential/possibility is usually expressed by the imperfect subjunctive:
Turbam horrendam creārent.
They would have created a horrible uproar.
Ūnā nocte omnis spēs tollerētur.
All hope would have been removed in one night.
Pugnantēs contrā decem legiōnēs, ā Rōmānīs vincerentur.
Fighting against ten legions, they would have been conquered by the Romans.
The perfect subjunctive is sometimes used to express present potential, sometimes past
potential. Even more rarely, the pluperfect subjunctive can express past potential as well.
►A very common use of the potential subjunctive is for the present tense of the first
person of the verbs volō, mālō, and nōlō. In these cases, the potential subjunctive is
an expression of politeness, and it is usually followed by a second verb in the present
subjunctive expressing what is desired, or not desired, or preferred.
II.
Velim mihi dēs pecūniam.
I would like you to give me money.
Mālimus vīcīnus noster nihil dīcet.
We would prefer our neighbor not to say anything.
(lit., “We would prefer our neighbor to say nothing.”)
DELIBERATIVE SUBJUNCTIVE
►The subjunctive can be used independently, especially in questions, to express doubt or
uncertainty as to the proper course of action. Often, the doubt will be merely rhetorical. The
deliberative subjunctive can usually be translated by the English verbal auxiliary should.
As with the potential subjunctive, the present tense is typically used for the
present/future. The imperfect tense typically refers to the past.
Quid faciam? Quō eam?
What should I do? Where should I go?
Quid facerem? Quō īrem?
What should I have done? Where should I have gone?
Fugiāmusne?
Should we flee?
Fugerēmusne?
Should we have fled?
Quot labōrēs suscipiant?
How many tasks should they undertake?
Quot labōrēs susciperent?
How many tasks should they have undertaken?
2
III.
OPTATIVE SUBJUNCTIVE
►The subjunctive can be used independently to express a wish. Often, this use of the
subjunctive is introduced by the Latin word utinam or ut. This usage of the subjunctive can
be translated with a sentence beginning “I wish…” or with the more archaic “Would
that…[such and such might happen].” A negative wish is indicated by nē.



A wish for the future is expressed by the present subjunctive.
A wish that something were happening in the present is expressed by the
imperfect subjunctive.
A wish that something had happened in the past is expressed by the pluperfect
subjunctive.
Notice that these are the same three subjunctives that are used to refer to past, present
and future time in contrary-to-fact conditional sentences.
The optative subjunctive in the future (present subjunctive):
Utinam veniat.
I wish he/she would/will come!
Would that he/she may come!
Utinam nē veniat.
I wish he/she would/will not come!
Would that he/she may not come!
The optative subjunctive in the present (imperfect subjunctive):
Utinam venīret.
I wish he/she were coming!
Would that he/she were coming!
Utinam nē venīret.
I wish he/she were not coming!
Would that he/she were not coming!
The optative subjunctive in the past (pluperfect subjunctive):
Utinam venisset.
I wish he/she had had come!
Would that he/she had come!
Utinam nē venisset.
I wish he/she had not come!
Would that he/she had not come!
N.B. The optative subjunctive will not always be accompanied by utinam or ut, although
it usually will be.
3