Avete, Amici Magistri
I want to translate this into Latin: “I need to know that things are going to be looking up”
Is there a better construction for “I need” than using “opus est mihi”? And how do I treat “to know”? If I use egeo + scire, would I use a gerund in the ablative or a supine or something else?
Danke,
Caementarius Rusticus
I think I’ll just use “Desidero scire quod” for “I need to know that”.
You could probably phrase it differently with different connotations. In particular, I’m thinking of whether the “need” is based on duty, personal desire, etc.
Egeo is often used in the participle as an adjective with an ablative object, “Thesaurus egens aliquo…” but the sense is more one of lacking, deprivation, ‘neediness’, often in concrete terms like food, money, might, etc. Careo/carens is a similar verb. I dont’ think these suit your purpose, but I suppose you could make a very vivid image with “scientia/sciendo egeo an res meliores fore.” “I lack/am devoid of knowledge whether things will be better.”
Perhaps…
Necesse est scire res meliores fore/[futuras esse]. “it is necessary to know…” Impersonal.
Mihi oportet scire… It behooves me to know, as in, it is necessary, needful, proper, or becoming.
Debeo scire… I am bound (by duty) to know. I ought, must should know…
Mihi sciendum est… gerundive of obligation. Lit., “It must be known by me,” as in “I must know.”
Volo scire… I want to know. Perhaps a good adverb could intensify this to your purposes.
I’m sure there are more, and I’m not sure whether mine are exactly correct usage.
(Obiter: can anyone explain to me the difference in usage between “fore” and constructions of “futurus esse”? Do they relate to reported speech differently?)
Edit: Just saw this in L&S: fŏre ,
I. inf., irregular, from the obsolete fuo, and equivalent to futurum esse; and fŏrem , fores, foret, forent, subj. imperf., equivalent to essem, esses, etc., v. sum init.
The speaker has an intense personal desire for hope.
I think I would use “Opto scire.”