Si tempestas in mari est, nautae magnum periculum timent.

(If there is a storm at sea, the sailors fear great danger.)

Breakdown of Si tempestas in mari est, nautae magnum periculum timent.

• esse: to be
• in: in
• nauta: the sailor
• tempestas: the storm
• mare: the sea
• si: if
• magnus: great
• periculum: the danger
• timere: to fear

Questions & Answers about Si tempestas in mari est, nautae magnum periculum timent.

Why is tempestas in the nominative singular form?

Because tempestas is the subject of the sentence. In Latin, the subject normally appears in the nominative case, and here it is singular since we are talking about one storm.

Why do we have in mari instead of something like in mare?

The word mare is a neuter noun that, in the ablative case, appears as mari. The preposition in can take the ablative when it indicates a location within or on something (in mari = on/at sea). Using in mare would imply motion towards the sea, rather than being located at sea.

Is nautae plural and why?

Yes, nautae is the nominative plural form of nauta (meaning sailor). It’s plural because the sentence refers to sailors in general, multiple individuals fearing danger.

What is magnum modifying?

Magnum is an adjective that modifies periculum. Both appear in the accusative singular neuter form (magnum periculum), meaning great danger.

What tense and mood is timent, and why is that used here?

Timent is the present indicative third-person plural of timeo, meaning they fear. In a straightforward conditional sentence like this, the present indicative is used to convey an ongoing or general truth about the sailors’ reaction whenever a storm arises.