Questions & Answers about Si sapiens es, veritatem dicere debes.
Si means if and introduces the condition:
Si sapiens es = If you are wise
This is a straightforward conditional statement. The sentence sets up a condition first, then gives the result or obligation:
- Si sapiens es = if you are wise
- veritatem dicere debes = you ought to tell the truth
So the basic pattern is:
si + condition, main clause
Latin often leaves subject pronouns unstated because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is.
Here:
- es = you are
- debes = you ought / you must
Both verbs are second person singular, so Latin does not need to add tu.
If you did include tu, it would usually be for emphasis:
- Si sapiens es, veritatem dicere debes = normal
- Si tu sapiens es, veritatem dicere debes = if you are wise...
Sapiens is a third-declension adjective meaning wise. It comes from a present participle form and has a different pattern from first-and-second-declension adjectives like .