Indirect Command — iubeo, veto, rogo + ut/ne

By the end of this lesson, you will form and translate indirect commands using ut/ne + subjunctive after verbs of ordering, forbidding, and requesting.

Direct vs. Indirect Command

A direct command is a simple imperative:

Veni! "Come!" Nolite facere! "Do not do it!"

An indirect command reports the command through a main verb of ordering, requesting, or urging:

Dux militibus imperavit ut venirent. "The general ordered the soldiers to come." (literally: "…that they should come")

The indirect command uses ut + subjunctive (affirmative) or ne + subjunctive (negative).

The Key Verbs

Latin uses several verbs to introduce indirect commands. Each takes the same structure — ut/ne + subjunctive — but carries a different nuance:

Latin verb	Meaning	Notes
impero (+ dat.)	to order	Most common in Caesar
iubeo (+ acc. + inf.)	to order	Unique: takes accusative + infinitive, NOT ut
veto (+ acc. + inf.)	to forbid	Also takes acc. + infinitive
rogo	to ask, request	Can also take ut clause
oro	to beg	Always ut/ne
moneo	to advise, warn	Often ut/ne
hortor	to urge, encourage	Always ut/ne
persuadeo (+ dat.)	to persuade	+ ut/ne
peto (ab + abl.)	to seek, request	+ ut/ne

and take , not : "Caesar ordered the soldiers to remain." "The general forbade the soldiers to fight."