I need help!

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Myrna
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I need help!

Post by Myrna »

Could you say me if this translation is correct?
The day I saw God! --> Dies ut ego Deum vidi

Thank you!

jlbenedicta
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Re: I need help!

Post by jlbenedicta »

I think you are translating "that" with "ut", which isn't what you need in this case. ("ut" is a good translation of "that" when you're expressing result -- e.g., "He was so tall *that* I couldn't see over his head.")

In this phrase, "that" could easily be replaced by "which" and using "which" actually makes the translation easier.
"The day which I saw God" sounds a little wonky though, doesn't it? Proper English would be "The day on which I saw God." -- So if you remember how to translate "which" and what Latin case to use for the time at which something happens, you should be fine! Best of luck.
- JLB

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thesaurus
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Re: I need help!

Post by thesaurus »

Myrna wrote:Could you say me if this translation is correct?
The day I saw God! --> Dies ut ego Deum vidi

Thank you!
My suggestion is to add "when" in the English, because I think it's implied in the Latin, as "The day when I saw God."

You can give the sense of temporality with a "cum" clause plus the indicative verb. So, "Dies cum ego Deum vidi." You only need to leave in "ego" if you're trying to be emphatic about who it was that saw God.

Alternatively, if you mean something like "on the day that I saw God," referring to when the time when or within which an action occurred, you'll want to use the ablative case of day, which is the ablative of time." So, "Die ego Deum vidi."

I think the use of "which" could work too, but it will probably depend on your meaning.
Horae quidem cedunt et dies et menses et anni, nec praeteritum tempus umquam revertitur nec quid sequatur sciri potest. Quod cuique temporis ad vivendum datur, eo debet esse contentus. --Cicero, De Senectute

adrianus
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Re: I need help!

Post by adrianus »

A very tiny point! The accusative is used in exclamations. So, "The day I saw God!" = "Diem cùm Deum vidi!"
Acum tenuissimam! Accusativus exclamationibus adhibetur.

Addendum.
I forgot. You have, too, "The day [on which] I saw God!"
Hoc oblitus sum. Habes etiam "***************"
Post scriptum
Oh, sorry, jlbenedicta. That was your solution. I should have said nothing. I removed it and put asterisks.
Hui, me paenitet, jlbenedicta. Sic iam proposuisti. Melius me tacuisse! Quod scripsi delevi et asterisca posui.
I'm writing in Latin hoping for correction, and not because I'm confident in how I express myself. Latinè scribo ut ab omnibus corrigar, non quod confidenter me exprimam.

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