Pluvia tam gravis est ut cives domum currant.

Tam ... ut is a very common Latin pattern meaning so ... that.

• tam = so
• ut = that

So tam gravis est ut... means it is so heavy that...

This is called a result clause. The first part sets up the degree (so heavy), and the ut clause gives the result (that the citizens run home).

Because after tam ... ut, Latin normally uses the subjunctive in the result clause.

So:

• currunt = they run (indicative)
• currant = they may run / they run in a subjunctive construction

In English, we usually do not show this distinction clearly in translation, so both may simply be translated run. But in Latin, the grammar matters: a result clause introduced by ut takes the subjunctive.

Here it expresses result, not purpose.

A native English speaker often sees ut and thinks in order that, but that is not always correct. In this sentence, tam strongly signals a result clause:

• tam gravis est = it is so heavy
• ut cives domum currant = that the citizens run home

So the rain is not being heavy in order to make the citizens run home. Rather, their running home is the result of how heavy the rain is.

With home, Latin often uses domum by itself to mean to home / homeward, without a preposition.

This is a special idiom:

• domum = home
• domi = at home
• domo = from home

So cives domum currant means the citizens run home.

A learner might expect ad domum, but classical Latin normally prefers just domum.

It is accusative singular.

Here it is an example of the accusative of motion toward with domus. Normally, motion toward a place often uses ad + accusative, but with certain words—especially domus and names of towns/small islands—Latin can use the accusative without a preposition.

So domum is not the direct object of currant. It shows where they are going.

Cives can be either nominative plural or accusative plural in form, so the ending alone does not settle it. The sentence structure tells you its role.

Here cives is the subject of currant:

• currant = they run
• therefore cives = the citizens doing the action

So in this sentence, cives is nominative plural.

Because they have different subjects.

• est is third person singular, referring to pluvia (the rain)
• currant is third person plural, referring to cives (the citizens)

So the sentence has two clauses:

1. Pluvia tam gravis est

   • subject: pluvia
   • verb: est

2. ut cives domum currant

   • subject: cives
   • verb: currant

Because gravis agrees with pluvia in number, case, and gender.

• pluvia is feminine singular nominative
• gravis here is also feminine singular nominative

For this adjective, the masculine and feminine nominative singular forms are the same: gravis.

So even though it may not look especially feminine to an English speaker, it is the correct agreeing form.

Yes. Gravis has a range of meanings, including:

• heavy
• serious
• weighty
• severe

With pluvia, the natural meaning is heavy: heavy rain.

Latin adjectives often have a wider range of meanings than a single English word, so context tells you which meaning fits best.

The word order is perfectly natural Latin. Latin word order is much more flexible than English because the endings show grammatical relationships.

This sentence is arranged as:

• Pluvia — the topic/subject first
• tam gravis est — the main statement
• ut cives domum currant — the result clause after it

English depends heavily on word order, but Latin often uses word order for emphasis and style rather than basic grammar.

Not if the sentence keeps the tam ... ut result construction.

Once you have tam ... ut expressing result, Latin normally requires the subjunctive in the ut clause:

• correct: tam gravis est ut cives domum currant
• not standard here: tam gravis est ut cives domum currunt

If you changed the structure entirely, then an indicative verb might be possible in a different kind of sentence. But in this exact pattern, the subjunctive is expected.

It can mean rain in a general sense, but in context it may feel more like the rain or a rainstorm.

Latin often uses a noun like pluvia where English might choose several different expressions depending on context:

• rain
• the rain
• rainfall
• a storm

Grammatically, though, it is simply a singular noun meaning rain.