Learn Hardcore Latin: Mater respondet: "Nonne potestis ludere aut legere? Quomodo sine avia tristes esse potestis?" - Mother answers: "Can you not play or read? How can you be sad without grandmother?"

So Nonne potestis ludere aut legere? literally feels like:
“Surely you can play or read, can’t you?”
Grammatically it is non (not) + ‑ne (question marker), but as a unit it signals the speaker assumes the answer will be positive. It does not mean a simple not by itself here; it shapes the whole question.

Why is the verb potestis used twice? Is that normal in Latin?

Yes, repeating potestis is normal and quite natural in Latin.

The mother asks two separate but related questions:

Nonne potestis ludere aut legere? – Can’t you play or read?
Quomodo sine avia tristes esse potestis? – How can you be sad without Grandma?

Latin is comfortable repeating verbs for clarity or emphasis where English might omit the second one (English might say only How can you be sad without Grandma? after the first question). Repetition here keeps each question complete and clear.

What exactly does potestis mean, and what form is it?

Potestis is the 2nd person plural present indicative of possum, posse, potui – to be able / can.

possum – I can
potes – you (sg.) can
potest – he/she/it can
possumus – we can
potestis – you (pl.) can
possunt – they can

So potestis = you (plural) can / you are able.
It takes infinitives like ludere and legere as its complements: you can play, you can read.

Why are ludere and legere in the infinitive form?

Because they depend on potestis.

With verbs of ability like possum / potestis, Latin normally uses a complementary infinitive:

potestis ludere – you can play
potestis legere – you can read

So ludere and legere are just the infinitives to play and to read, completing the meaning of potestis.

What is the difference between aut and vel? Why is aut used here?

Both aut and vel can mean or, but:

aut is usually a stronger, more exclusive or – play or read (one or the other).
vel is often softer, more like “or even / or perhaps”, sometimes suggesting that either is fine, without emphasizing exclusivity.

In the question Nonne potestis ludere aut legere?, the mother is offering two clear alternatives – play or read – so aut is very natural.

What does Quomodo mean, and how is it different from cur?

Quomodo literally means “in what way?” = “how?”

quomodo – how, in what manner
cur – why

Here Quomodo sine avia tristes esse potestis? is literally How can you be sad without Grandma?, asking about the way or manner in which this sadness is possible.
In many contexts English might translate it with why (as in Why are you sad?), but the core meaning is how.

What case is avia, and why does sine take that case?

Avia here is ablative singular, governed by the preposition sine.

sine always takes the ablative and means without.
avia, aviae is a 1st‑declension noun:
- nominative sg.: avia
- ablative sg.: avia (same form)

So sine avia = without the grandmother / without Grandma.
The form looks like nominative, but the preposition sine tells you it is ablative.

In English we say without your grandmother, but Latin has just sine avia. Where is your?

Latin often omits possessive pronouns (like meus, tuus, noster, vester) when the relationship is obvious from the context, especially with family members.

Here it is clear that the children are talking about their grandmother, so sine avia naturally means without your grandmother in English.
The possessive vestra (your) could be added (sine avia vestra), but it’s not required.

Why is tristes plural, and what does it agree with?

Tristes is nominative plural masculine/feminine of the adjective tristis, triste – sad.

It agrees with the (understood) subject vos (you, plural):

vos (you all) – subject, nominative plural
tristes – predicate adjective, nominative plural, matching vos

So tristes esse = to be sad, with tristes describing you (plural).

Why is esse used here? Could Latin just say Quomodo sine avia tristes potestis?

Esse is needed because tristes is a predicate adjective, and esse is the linking verb to be.

tristes esse – to be sad
potestis tristes esse – you can be sad

Without esse, tristes potestis would be ungrammatical; potestis is not a linking verb by itself.
So Quomodo sine avia tristes esse potestis? literally is How can you be sad without Grandma?

Why is the word order tristes esse potestis instead of potestis esse tristes?

Latin word order is flexible, especially in short sentences. Both:

tristes esse potestis
potestis esse tristes

are grammatically correct and mean the same thing: you can be sad.

Putting potestis at the end can give the sentence a slight emphasis on potestis (you can?), and keeping tristes esse together also nicely groups to be sad as a unit. But the main point is: word order is freer than in English; agreement and endings carry most of the grammar.

What tense and mood is potestis, and how would it change in other tenses?

Here potestis is present indicative active: you (pl.) can / you are able.

Other common forms:

poteratis – imperfect indicative: you were able / you used to be able
poteritis – future indicative: you will be able
potuistis – perfect indicative: you have been able / you were able (once)

So in this sentence, the mother is speaking about ability right now: Can’t you (now) play or read?

What does the colon after Mater respondet mean? Is this direct speech?

Yes. Mater respondet: introduces direct speech – the exact words the mother says.

So the structure is:

Mater respondet: – The mother replies:
followed by her actual words, as questions:
- Nonne potestis ludere aut legere?
- Quomodo sine avia tristes esse potestis?

In Latin texts you may see a colon, a dash, or just a new sentence; all can introduce direct speech, similar to English.