Lesson 7: All Six Conditional Sentences

Overview

Latin conditionals are famously systematic. There are exactly six types, each with a specific combination of moods and tenses that signals the type's meaning. Once you learn the six patterns, you can identify any conditional in Latin and translate it accurately. The types range from stating bare facts to expressing elaborate hypotheticals that run counter to reality.

Master Reference Table

Type	Name	si clause	Main clause	Time	Key words
1	Simple fact	Indicative (any tense)	Indicative (any tense)	Any	"if...then"
2	Future more vivid	Future or future perfect indicative	Future indicative	Future	"if...will, will"
3	Future less vivid	Present subjunctive	Present subjunctive	Future	"should...would"
4	Present contrary to fact	Imperfect subjunctive	Imperfect subjunctive	Present	"were...would be"
5	Past contrary to fact	Pluperfect subjunctive	Pluperfect subjunctive	Past	"had been...would have been"
6	Mixed	Pluperf. or imperf. subj.	Other subj. tense	Mixed	various

Type 1: Simple Fact (Simple Condition)

Structure

si clause: any indicative tense
Main clause: any indicative tense

Meaning

States a straightforward factual relationship: "If X is (was/will be) true, then Y is (was/will be) true." The speaker makes no judgment about whether X is or will be true — it is simply stated as a fact or a general truth.

Examples

Example 1.1 — Present indicative:

Sī hoc facis, errās. If you do this, you are wrong.

Example 1.2 — Imperfect (habitual):

Sī id faciēbat, poenās dabat. If he did that (= whenever he did that), he paid the penalty.

Example 1.3 — Perfect + present:

Sī Caesar vēnit, pāx est. If Caesar has come, there is peace.

Common Errors

Do not confuse with Type 2: if both verbs are future, it is Type 2 (more vivid), not Type 1.
Type 1 often expresses general truths (with present indicative) or historical facts.

Type 2: Future More Vivid

Structure

si clause: future indicative or future perfect indicative
Main clause: future indicative

Meaning

The speaker considers the condition likely or genuinely possible. Both speaker and listener treat the condition as something that might really happen. English equivalent: "If X happens, Y will happen."

Note on the si clause tense: Latin often uses the future perfect (vēnerit) in the si clause, where English uses simple present ("If he comes"). This is grammatically correct — Latin requires the future perfect to express completion before the main future action.

Examples

Example 2.1:

Sī veniet, eum vidēbō. If he comes (= will come), I will see him.

Example 2.2 — Future perfect in si clause:

Sī Rōmam vēnerō, tē vidēbō. If I come to Rome (= shall have come), I will see you.

Example 2.3 — Caesar, BG style:

Sī frūmentum nōn invēnerō, exercitum redūcam. If I shall not have found grain, I will lead the army back.

Common Errors

Students often write imperfect subjunctive in the si clause, making it Type 4. Future more vivid always uses indicative.
The future perfect in the si clause does not mean the action is past — it means "by the time the main action happens, this will have been completed."

Type 3: Future Less Vivid (Should-Would)

Structure

si clause: present subjunctive
Main clause: present subjunctive

Meaning

The speaker considers the condition possible but less likely, or is speaking more cautiously or politely. English equivalent: "If X should happen, Y would happen." The subjunctive creates distance from certainty.

Examples

Example 3.1:

Sī veniat, eum videam. If he should come, I would see him.

Example 3.2 — Polite request (Cicero):

Sī quid velīs, mē certiōrem faciās. If you should want anything, you would make me aware of it. (polite indirect request)

Example 3.3:

Sī hōc nōbīs imperēs, facere possīmus. If you should order this of us, we would be able to do it.

Common Errors

Students confuse Type 3 (future less vivid, present subj.) with Type 4 (present contrary to fact, imperfect subj.). The tense of the subjunctive is the only difference — present = less vivid; imperfect = contrary to fact.

Type 4: Present Contrary to Fact

Structure

si clause: imperfect subjunctive
Main clause: imperfect subjunctive

Meaning

The speaker explicitly states that the condition is false now (contrary to present fact). English equivalent: "If X were happening (but it isn't), Y would be happening (but it isn't)."

The imperfect subjunctive signals present time in this context — not past time. This is one of Latin's counterintuitive moves.

Examples

Example 4.1:

Sī veniret, eum vidērem. If he were coming (but he's not), I would see him.

Example 4.2:

Sī dux adesset, mīlitēs melius pugnārent. If the general were here (but he isn't), the soldiers would fight better.

Example 4.3 — Cicero, Tusc. style:

Sī sapientem decēret, id faceret. If it were fitting for a wise man (which it's not), he would do it.

Common Errors

Translating the imperfect subjunctive as past ("If he came...") is wrong in Type 4. The imperfect subj. in a conditional means present contrary to fact.
If you see imperfect subjunctive in both clauses → always Type 4 (present contrary to fact).

Type 5: Past Contrary to Fact

Structure

si clause: pluperfect subjunctive
Main clause: pluperfect subjunctive

Meaning

The condition is false in the past. English equivalent: "If X had happened (but it didn't), Y would have happened (but it didn't)."

Examples

Example 5.1:

Sī vēnisset, eum vīdissem. If he had come (but he didn't), I would have seen him.

Example 5.2:

Sī dux adfuisset, mīlitēs vīcissent. If the general had been present (but he wasn't), the soldiers would have won.

Example 5.3 — Cicero, Cat.:

Sī haec omnia nōn vīdissem, tamen crēdidissem. If I had not seen all these things (but I did), I would still have believed it.

Common Errors

Translating the pluperfect subjunctive as simply "had done" (making it sound like an indirect statement) — in a conditional, pluperfect subjunctive = past contrary to fact.
Confusing with Type 4: pluperfect = past; imperfect = present in contrary-to-fact conditionals.

Type 6: Mixed Conditionals

Definition

A mixed conditional combines elements from two different types — typically a past condition (pluperfect subjunctive) with a present result (imperfect subjunctive), or vice versa. This mirrors the English "If X had happened (past), Y would be (present) happening."

Common Mixed Patterns

si clause	Main clause	Meaning
Pluperfect subjunctive	Imperfect subjunctive	Past condition, present result
Imperfect subjunctive	Pluperfect subjunctive	Present condition, past result

Examples

Example 6.1 — Past condition, present result:

Sī Rōmae mānssisset, nunc dīves esset. If he had stayed in Rome (but he didn't), he would be rich now. (mānssisset = pluperfect; esset = imperfect; nunc flags present result)

Example 6.2 — Present condition, past result:

Sī vir fortis essēs, hoc iam fēcissēs. If you were a brave man (but you're not), you would have done this already. (essēs = imperfect; fēcissēs = pluperfect)

Example 6.3 — Cicero style:

Sī diligenter attendisset, intellegeret. If he had paid careful attention (but he didn't), he would understand (now).

How to Identify Mixed Conditionals

The si clause and main clause have different subjunctive tenses.
Look for time adverbs: nunc (now), iam (already), adhūc (still) that signal the present result.
Context: does the condition refer to the past while the result refers to the present?

Negative Conditionals

The negative of si is nisi (unless, if...not) or si nōn (if not, emphasizing the nōn):

nisi = "unless" (the condition being negated is the entire premise)
si nōn = "if not" (the negation is specific, contrasting with a positive)

Nisi Rōmam veneris, tē nōn vidēbō. — Unless you come to Rome, I will not see you. Sī Rōmam nōn veneris, tē nōn vidēbō. — If you do not come (specifically) to Rome, I won't see you.

Decision Tree for Conditionals

See si + clause / main clause
            |
Is si-clause indicative?
   YES:
      Future or future perfect → TYPE 2 (future more vivid)
      Any other indicative → TYPE 1 (simple fact)
   NO (subjunctive):
      |
      Present subjunctive in both → TYPE 3 (future less vivid)
      Imperfect subjunctive in both → TYPE 4 (present contrary to fact)
      Pluperfect subjunctive in both → TYPE 5 (past contrary to fact)
      Mixed subjunctive tenses → TYPE 6 (mixed)

Practice Exercises

Exercise A — Identify the type

Name the conditional type (1–6):

Sī pluet, domī manēbō. → Type 2 (future more vivid)
Sī pluat, domī maneam. → Type 3 (future less vivid)
Sī plueret, domī manērem. → Type 4 (present contrary to fact)
Sī pluisset, domī mānssissem. → Type 5 (past contrary to fact)
Sī pluit, domī maneō. → Type 1 (simple fact)
Sī plūisset, nunc domī essem. → Type 6 (mixed)

Exercise B — Complete the conditional

Fill in the blank with the correct form:

Sī hoc (facere — Type 4 present contrary to fact), errārēs. → facerēs
Sī ille (venīre — Type 5 past contrary to fact), tē vīdisset. → vēnisset
Sī pācem (petere — Type 2 future more vivid), eam accipiam. → petīveris / petierīs

Exercise C — Translate

Sī sapiens essēs, hoc nōn dīcerēs.
Sī Caesar vīcisset, pāx facta esset.
Nisi celerīter vēnerīs, sērō erit.
Sī id fēcisset, nunc vīveret.

Summary Cheat Sheet

Type	si clause	Main clause	Meaning shorthand
1	Indicative	Indicative	"simple fact"
2	Future / fut. perf. indic.	Future indic.	"likely future"
3	Present subj.	Present subj.	"possible but uncertain"
4	Imperfect subj.	Imperfect subj.	"not true now"
5	Pluperfect subj.	Pluperfect subj.	"didn't happen in past"
6	Mixed tenses	Mixed tenses	"past condition, present result"