Breakdown of Nos non possumus orare in urbe, sed possumus orare in villa.
in
in
villa
the villa
non
not
sed
but
Questions & Answers about Nos non possumus orare in urbe, sed possumus orare in villa.
Why is nos included? Doesn’t possumus already mean we are able?
Yes. Possumus already tells you the subject is we, because the -mus ending marks first person plural.
So nos is not required for basic grammar. It is added for emphasis or clarity, as if saying:
- We cannot pray in the city, but we can pray in the country house.
Latin often leaves subject pronouns out unless they are needed for contrast, emphasis, or clarity.
A shorter version would still be correct:
Non possumus orare in urbe, sed possumus orare in villa.
What form is possumus?
Possumus is:
- 1st person plural
- present tense
- active voice
- indicative mood
It comes from possum, posse, meaning to be able or can.
So possumus means:
- we are able
- we can
Why is orare in the infinitive?
Because it depends on possumus.
In Latin, after verbs meaning can, want, must, , and similar ideas, you often use an to express the action. So: