Questions & Answers about Si cui facultas et perseverantia desunt, amica benigna ei auxilium ferre potest.
What does si cui mean here, and why is it not si alicui?
Here cui means to someone / to anyone.
A very common Latin pattern is that after words like si (if), nisi (if not / unless), num, and ne, Latin often uses quis/quid and its forms instead of aliquis/aliquid.
So:
- si cui = if to someone / if someone
- not usually si alicui
In this sentence, cui is dative singular, because the verb desunt takes a dative.
Why is cui in the dative case?
Because desum works with a dative of the person affected.
Latin says, literally:
- facultas et perseverantia alicui desunt
- ability and perseverance are lacking to someone
So the person who lacks something is put in the dative, not the nominative.
That is why the sentence has:
- cui = to someone
- later ei = to him / her
Why is the verb desunt plural instead of singular?
Because its subject is two things:
- facultas
- perseverantia
Even though each noun is singular by itself, together they make a compound subject, so the verb is plural:
- facultas et perseverantia desunt = ability and perseverance are lacking
If there were only one subject, you would use deest instead.
What are the cases of facultas and perseverantia?
Both are nominative singular, because they are the subjects of desunt.
- facultas = nominative singular
- perseverantia = nominative singular
Together they act as the compound subject of the verb.
A learner may expect the person who lacks something to be the subject, but with desum, the thing lacking is the subject, while the person lacking it is in the dative.
What exactly does desunt mean, and how is it built?
Desunt is from desum, deesse, defui, which literally means to be away from, and more naturally to be lacking or to be absent.
It is built from:
- de-
- sum = I am
So desunt literally means they are lacking / they are absent.
In this sentence:
- facultas et perseverantia desunt = ability and perseverance are lacking
This is slightly different from English, where we usually say someone lacks ability and perseverance.
Why is ei used later if cui already appeared earlier?
Ei refers back to the same person introduced by cui.
So the structure is:
- Si cui ... desunt = If someone lacks ...
- amica benigna ei auxilium ferre potest = a kind female friend can bring help to him/her
Latin often repeats a pronoun like this where English might leave it out. It helps keep the grammar clear.
So ei is not a different person; it means to that person / to him / her.
What is amica benigna grammatically?
Amica benigna is:
- amica = nominative singular feminine noun, female friend
- benigna = nominative singular feminine adjective, kind / kindly / benevolent
Together they mean a kind female friend.
Both words are nominative singular feminine because they go together, and the whole phrase is the subject of potest.
Why is amica feminine? Does Latin have to specify that?
Yes, Latin nouns have grammatical gender, and amica specifically means a female friend.
Compare:
- amicus = male friend
- amica = female friend
So the sentence is specifically speaking about a woman friend who can help.
English often uses the gender-neutral word friend, but Latin usually makes you choose a gendered noun like amicus or amica.
Why is there no word for a or the?
Because Classical Latin has no articles.
So:
- amica benigna can mean a kind friend or the kind friend
- auxilium can mean help or the help, depending on context
Latin leaves that distinction to context rather than using separate words like English a/an/the.
What does auxilium ferre mean? Why not just use one verb?
Auxilium ferre is a very normal Latin expression meaning to bring help, to give help, or simply to help.
Grammatically:
- auxilium = help, accusative singular
- ferre = to carry / to bring
So literally it is to bring help.
Latin often uses these noun + verb combinations where English might prefer a single verb. This phrase is completely idiomatic and common.
Why is ferre an infinitive, and why is potest singular?
Because potest comes from possum (to be able / can), and possum is followed by an infinitive.
So:
- potest ferre = can bring
And potest is singular because its subject, amica benigna, is singular.
So the grammar is:
- amica benigna = subject
- potest = can
- auxilium ferre = bring help
Why is the word order so different from English?
Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because Latin shows grammatical roles mainly through endings, not position.
This sentence is arranged in a very natural Latin way:
- Si cui facultas et perseverantia desunt = the if-clause comes first
- amica benigna ei auxilium ferre potest = then the main clause
Latin often places words for emphasis, rhythm, or style rather than following a fixed English-style order.
A more word-for-word view would be something like:
- If to someone ability and perseverance are lacking, a kind female friend to him/her help to bring can.
That sounds odd in English, but in Latin the endings make it perfectly clear.
Is this a real conditional sentence, and what kind is it?
Yes. This is a straightforward conditional sentence introduced by si (if).
The verbs are:
- desunt = present indicative
- potest = present indicative
So this is a simple present condition, expressing something general or possible:
- If someone lacks ability and perseverance, a kind friend can help that person.
It is not contrary-to-fact, hypothetical in the remote sense, or future-more-vivid. It is just a normal, open condition.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning LatinMaster Latin — from Si cui facultas et perseverantia desunt, amica benigna ei auxilium ferre potest to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions