Latin B2: He says that…: accusative & infinitive · Grammar

After verbs of saying, thinking, knowing and perceiving, Latin has no word for “that”: the subject goes into the accusative and the verb into the infinitive. Dicit Marcum venire (he says that Marcus is coming). The infinitive shows time relative to the main verb: present for the same time (venire), perfect for earlier (venisse), future for later (venturum esse). “He says that he…” uses se: Dicit se venire.

• dicere — to say
• putare — to think
• scire — to know
• credere — to believe
• sperare — to hope
• negare — to say that… not, to deny
• venisse — to have come
• venturum esse — to be going to come

• Dicunt eum aegrotare. — They say he is ill.
• Scio me nihil scire. — I know that I know nothing.
• Credo te verum dicere. — I believe you are telling the truth.
• Negavit se venturum esse. — He said he would not come.