Num quisquam trans pontem ire audet, cum ventus tam fortis sit?

Num introduces a yes/no question that usually expects the answer no.

So the tone is not just Does anyone dare...? but more like:

• Surely no one dares...?
• No one dares..., do they?

It signals that the speaker probably thinks the answer will be negative.

Quisquam means anyone or anybody, and it is especially common in:

• negative statements
• contexts that are almost negative
• questions like this one with num

Since num suggests an expected no, quisquam fits very naturally.

A learner can think of it this way:

• aliquis = someone / anyone in a more neutral sense
• quisquam = anyone at all, especially where the idea is negative or doubtful

So Num quisquam... audet? has the feel of Does anyone at all dare...?

Because quisquam is grammatically singular.

Even though in English anyone can feel a bit broad or indefinite, Latin treats quisquam as a singular pronoun here. So the verb must also be singular:

• quisquam audet = anyone dares

If it were plural, Latin would use a different subject.

Because audeo, audere means to dare, and it is followed by an infinitive to show what someone dares to do.

So:

• audet ire = he/she/anyone dares to go

This is very similar to English:

• dares to go

In Latin, many verbs work this way, with a second verb in the infinitive.

Trans pontem means across the bridge or over the bridge.

Here:

• trans is a preposition
• pontem is its object

So it tells you where the going would happen.

Because trans takes the accusative case.

So:

• pons = bridge
• pontem = bridge, in the accusative singular

Many Latin prepositions require a specific case, and trans regularly takes the accusative.

In this sentence, trans is best understood as a preposition meaning across or over.

Latin trans can also sometimes function adverbially in other contexts, but here it clearly governs pontem, so it is acting as a preposition.

Because cum here introduces a subordinate clause with the subjunctive.

So sit is the present subjunctive of sum.

This kind of cum clause often gives:

• a cause: since / because
• or the circumstances: when / while

In this sentence, the sense is probably causal:

• since the wind is so strong
• because the wind is so strong

That is why Latin uses sit, not est.

No. Here cum is a conjunction, not the preposition with.

Latin cum can mean different things depending on how it is used:

• as a preposition with the ablative: with
• as a conjunction: when, since, although

In this sentence, it is the conjunction introducing the clause ventus tam fortis sit.

So here it means something like:

• since
• because
• possibly when, depending on context

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order. A verb often comes near the end of its clause, especially in more formal or literary style.

So:

• cum ventus tam fortis sit

is a very normal Latin arrangement.

The endings tell you how the words fit together, so Latin does not depend on word order as heavily as English does.

Because fortis agrees with ventus.

Here:

• ventus is nominative singular masculine
• so the adjective describing it must also be nominative singular masculine
• that form is fortis

So:

• ventus fortis = a strong wind
• ventus tam fortis = so strong a wind / the wind so strong

Tam means so.

It strengthens the adjective:

• fortis = strong
• tam fortis = so strong

It often sets up an idea of degree or emphasis. Here it helps explain why no one would dare to go across the bridge.

Most likely cause.

So the idea is probably:

• because the wind is so strong
• since the wind is so strong

A cum + subjunctive clause can sometimes be translated with when, but in this sentence the causal idea feels more natural, because the strong wind is the reason nobody would dare cross.

The dictionary form is audeo, audere, ausus sum.

This verb means to dare.

A learner may notice that it has principal parts that look a little unusual, because it is a semi-deponent verb: it has active forms in the present system, but a perfect with a participle:

• audeo = I dare
• audet = he/she/it dares
• ausus sum = I dared / I have dared

For this sentence, though, the important thing is simply that audet means dares and takes an infinitive.

The sentence has two parts:

1. the main question:

   • Num quisquam trans pontem ire audet?
   • Does anyone dare to go across the bridge?

2. the subordinate cum clause:

   • cum ventus tam fortis sit
   • since/because the wind is so strong

So the full structure is:

• main clause asking the question
• subordinate clause explaining the circumstances or reason

That is a very common Latin pattern.