# Si ad villam nostrum veneris, inveniemus quod edamus



## Buonaparte

Dear Forum
 
I'm trying to get to grips with conditionals. Could I translate:
_Si ad villam nostrum veneris, inveniemus quod edamus_​as:
If you come to our villa, we will find what we can eat​And I'm assuming that _edamus_ is a subjunctive here...
 
Buonaparte


----------



## jazyk

The Latin is strange, especially the nostrum part, which doesn't agree with villam. If you want it to mean what it says in English, I suggest:

Si ad villam nostram venias, inveniamus/inveniemus quod edamus.

But I could be wrong.



> And I'm assuming that _edamus_ is a subjunctive here...


It is.


----------



## Starfrown

jazyk said:


> Si ad villam nostram venias, inveniamus/inveniemus quod edamus.


If you use a subjunctive in the protasis, you should also use a subjunctive in the apodosis.

Your suggestion is what is called a _future less vivid_ conditional.

The _future more vivid_ conditional in this case would be:

_Si ad villam nostram veneris/venies, inveniemus quod edamus._

Note that you may see either the future or future perfect in the protasis. The future perfect emphasizes the completion of the action, but it is generally unidiomatic to use such a form in an English protasis, so it tends to be translated in exactly the same way as the future--that is, with a verb in the present.

The choice of future more vivid versus future less vivid depends entirely on the author's feeling as to the likelihood of the condition's being realized.

Also, I wouldn't understand _quod edamus_ as "what we can eat" but rather "what we _would_ eat."

Did you find this sentence in a textbook, or is it of your own making? I ask because I'm wondering whether it might be better to use _quae_ instead of _quod_.


----------



## jazyk

My Latin book says the indicative future is possible when a thing is certain to happen. Regarding the English translation, I don't use it. It's somewhat safer to use my native Portuguese.


----------



## Starfrown

jazyk said:


> My Latin book says the indicative future is possible when a thing is certain to happen. Regarding the English translation, I don't use it. It's somewhat safer to use my native Portuguese.


It is possible for various mixed conditionals to occur in real Latin--I'm just trying to keep things as simple as possible for the sake of beginners. I know nothing about the frequency with which present subjunctives in the protasis were mixed with future indicatives in the apodosis.

The note on English translation was intended primarily for Buonaparte's benefit.


----------



## Stoicorum_simia

Starfrown said:


> Also, I wouldn't understand _quod edamus_ as "what we can eat" but rather "what we _would_ eat."


 
Wouldn't the most idiomatic English version be 'something to eat'?


----------



## Starfrown

Stoicorum_simia said:


> Wouldn't the most idiomatic English version be 'something to eat'?


I agree that that is a better translation.

In general, on this forum, I do not attempt to produce what I believe to be the best or most natural translation of Latin.  My goal is to help others understand the original as closely as possible through English.


----------

