Si sapiens es, veritatem dicere debes.

to be

Breakdown of Si sapiens es, veritatem dicere debes.

• si: if
• dicere: to tell
• veritas: the truth

Questions & Answers about Si sapiens es, veritatem dicere debes.

What does si do in this sentence?

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

Why is there no word for you in the sentence?

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...

Why is sapiens used instead of some form that looks more like a regular adjective?

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 .