In indirect questions, Latin uses the subjunctive.

 
rogat quid faciant - he asks what they are doing

rogat quid facturi sint - he asks what they are going to do

 
rogat quid fecerint - he asks what they have done

 
There is no future subjunctive. The future participle is used with the subjunctive of sum, to indicate a future indirect question.

 
nescio quid facturus sim - I do not know what I am going to do

 
nesciebamus quid facturi essemus - we did not know what we are going to do

 
Indirect questions can be introduced by any interrogative words and also by ‘num’.

 
Quintus senem rogavit num parentes suos vidisset - Quintus asked the old man whether he had seen his parents.

 
Double questions are introduced by utrum...an - whether...or

 
senex Quintum rogavit utrum Vunusiae mansurus esset an parentes quaesiturus - The old man asked Quintus whether he was going to stay in Venusia or look for his parents.

 
utrum...necne - whether...or not:

Quintus senem rogavit utrum parentes sui Venusia discessissent necne - Quintus asked the old man whether his parents had left Venusia or not.

This page was written by: Michael Taylor.