Word
Ego possum dormire in villa, sed tu potes vigilare in horto.
Meaning
(I can sleep in the villa, but you can keep watch in the garden.)
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Ego possum dormire in villa, sed tu potes vigilare in horto.
Why does the sentence explicitly use Ego and tu instead of just using possum or potes without pronouns?
In Latin, personal pronouns are not always necessary because the verb endings usually indicate the subject. However, they can be used for emphasis or clarity. In this sentence, Ego and tu are used to highlight the contrast: "I can sleep here, but you can keep watch there."
Why is dormire in the infinitive form after possum?
Latin uses the infinitive after verbs that indicate possibility or ability, such as possum (meaning "I can" or "I am able"). So dormire (meaning "to sleep") is in the infinitive because it follows possum, showing the action that the subject is able to perform.
What does in villa mean, and why is it in the ablative case?
In villa means "in the house" or "in the villa." In Latin, in followed by the ablative case typically indicates a location (where something occurs). Because villa is in the ablative, it tells us the place where the action (sleeping) is happening.
Why is it in horto and not in hortum if we're talking about a garden?
Like in villa, in horto uses the ablative case (horto rather than hortum). In + ablative expresses location, meaning "in the garden." If it were in hortum, that could imply motion toward the garden (some grammars use in + accusative to specify movement into a place).
What does vigilare mean here, and why is it used?
Vigilare generally means "to stay awake," "to keep watch," or "to be vigilant." In this sentence, it contrasts with dormire ("to sleep"), emphasizing that while the speaker is sleeping, the other person remains awake or on guard.
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