Indirect Question — rogavit quid faceres
Form and translate indirect questions using interrogative words (quid, ubi, cur, quomodo) + subjunctive. Apply the sequence of tenses and distinguish indirect questions from direct ones. Learn the nescio an idiom.
A lesson of Latin B1 — Intermediate, in Indirect Statement, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will form and translate indirect questions using interrogative pronouns/adverbs + subjunctive, and distinguish indirect questions from direct questions.
What Is an Indirect Question?
A direct question is asked openly:
Quid facis? "What are you doing?"
An indirect question reports the question through a verb of asking, knowing, or wondering:
Rogavit quid faceres. "He asked what you were doing."
The crucial difference: in Latin, the verb of an indirect question goes into the subjunctive mood — never the indicative.
Introducing Verbs
Indirect questions are triggered by verbs of:
| Category | Verbs |
|---|---|
| Asking | rogo, quaero, peto |
| Knowing/Not knowing | scio, nescio, ignoro |
| Wondering | miror, dubito |
| Telling/Showing | dico, narro, doceo (when a question follows) |
| Perceiving | video, audio (when sense perception leads to a question) |
The Interrogative Words
The indirect question begins with the same question words used in direct questions:
| Interrogative | Meaning |
|---|---|
| quis/quid | who/what |
| ubi | where |
| quo | where to |
| unde | from where |
| quando | when |
| cur, quare | why |
| quomodo, ut | how |
| quot | how many |