Pater ad forum properat, ut ante imbrem mercem emat; interim mater panem domi secat.

Father hurries to the forum so that he may buy supplies before the rain; meanwhile mother cuts bread at home.

Breakdown of Pater ad forum properat, ut ante imbrem mercem emat; interim mater panem domi secat.

• pater: the father
• mater: the mother
• panis: the bread
• forum: the forum

Questions & Answers about Pater ad forum properat, ut ante imbrem mercem emat; interim mater panem domi secat.

Why is ut used here, and why is emat in the subjunctive?

Here ut introduces a purpose clause: ut ante imbrem mercem emat = so that he may buy goods before the rain / in order to buy goods before the rain.

Because it is a purpose clause, the verb goes into the subjunctive, so we get emat rather than the indicative emit.

A very common pattern in Latin is:

• ut
  • subjunctive = in order that / so that
• ne
  • subjunctive = in order that not / so that not

So in this sentence, properat tells us what the father is doing, and ut ... emat tells us why he is hurrying.

What form is properat, and what does it literally mean?

Properat is:

• 3rd person singular
• present active indicative
• from propero, properare = to hurry

So pater ad forum properat literally means the father hurries to the forum/marketplace.

English often uses is hurrying, but Latin present tense can cover both:

• he hurries
• he is hurrying

depending on context.