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For English speakers learning Classical Latin through the construed reading method, this lesson explores scīre (to know), a fundamental 4th conjugation verb ranked #172 in the Dickinson Core Vocabulary. Understanding this verb is essential for expressing knowledge, awareness, and ability in Latin.
Link to Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
What does scīre mean in Latin?
scīre expresses the state of knowing - whether factual knowledge (”I know that Rome is great”), practical skill (”I know how to swim”), or general awareness (”I know what you’re thinking”). Unlike cognōscere (to learn, recognize) which emphasizes the process of acquiring knowledge, scīre denotes the achieved state of knowledge itself. The verb belongs to the 4th conjugation (principal parts: sciō, scīre, scīvī/sciī, scītum) and takes various constructions depending on what type of knowledge is expressed.
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scīre is a 4th conjugation verb with characteristic long -ī- stem -
Perfect tense has two forms: regular scīvī and syncopated sciī (both classical) -
Takes three main constructions: direct object (ACC), complementary infinitive (INF), and indirect statement (ACC+INF) -
Present participle sciēns means “knowing, aware” and yields English “science,” “conscious,” “conscience” -
Distinguished from cognōscere (learn/recognize process) and nōscere (become acquainted with)
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172.1 Puer the boy grammaticam grammar scit knows
172.2 Scīmus we know tē you bonum good esse to be
172.3 Magister the teacher multa many things scit knows
172.4 Nōn not sciō I know quid what fēceris you did
172.5 Scīvī I knew Rōmam Rome urbem a city magnam great esse to be
172.6 Scīsne do you know natāre to swim
172.7 Omnēs all sciunt know Caesarem Caesar victōrem a conqueror fuisse to have been
172.8 Vir a man sciēns knowing et and sapiēns wise
172.9 Nesciō I do not know an whether veniat he comes
172.10 Sciēbam I knew tē you hoc this factūrum about to do esse to be
172.11 Scit he knows Latīnē in Latin loquī to speak
172.12 Quis who nescit does not know Cicerōnem Cicero ōrātōrem an orator clārum famous fuisse to have been
172.13 Sciī I knew patrem my father meum my mortuum dead esse to be
172.14 Hoc this scītum known est is omnibus to all
172.15 Scīre to know cupiō I desire quid what cōgitēs you think
172.1 Puer grammaticam scit “The boy knows grammar”
172.2 Scīmus tē bonum esse “We know that you are good”
172.3 Magister multa scit “The teacher knows many things”
172.4 Nōn sciō quid fēceris “I don’t know what you have done”
172.5 Scīvī Rōmam urbem magnam esse “I learned that Rome was a great city”
172.6 Scīsne natāre? “Do you know how to swim?”
172.7 Omnēs sciunt Caesarem victōrem fuisse “Everyone knows that Caesar was victorious”
172.8 Vir sciēns et sapiēns “A knowing and wise man”
172.9 Nesciō an veniat “I don’t know whether he’ll come” (idiom: “Perhaps he’ll come”)
172.10 Sciēbam tē hoc factūrum esse “I knew that you would do this”
172.11 Scit Latīnē loquī “He knows how to speak Latin”
172.12 Quis nescit Cicerōnem ōrātōrem clārum fuisse? “Who doesn’t know that Cicero was a famous orator?”
172.13 Sciī patrem meum mortuum esse “I found out that my father had died”
172.14 Hoc scītum est omnibus “This is known by all”
172.15 Scīre cupiō quid cōgitēs “I desire to know what you are thinking”
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172.1 Puer grammaticam scit
172.2 Scīmus tē bonum esse
172.3 Magister multa scit
172.4 Nōn sciō quid fēceris
172.5 Scīvī Rōmam urbem magnam esse
172.6 Scīsne natāre?
172.7 Omnēs sciunt Caesarem victōrem fuisse
172.8 Vir sciēns et sapiēns
172.9 Nesciō an veniat
172.10 Sciēbam tē hoc factūrum esse
172.11 Scit Latīnē loquī
172.12 Quis nescit Cicerōnem ōrātōrem clārum fuisse?
172.13 Sciī patrem meum mortuum esse
172.14 Hoc scītum est omnibus
172.15 Scīre cupiō quid cōgitēs
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These are the grammar rules for scīre in Classical Latin:
scīre belongs to the 4th conjugation, characterized by the long -ī- stem vowel in the infinitive. The principal parts are: -
Present: sciō (I know) -
Infinitive: scīre (to know) -
Perfect: scīvī or sciī (I learned, I have known) -
Supine: scītum (known)
Present Indicative Active: -
sciō (I know), scīs (you know), scit (he/she/it knows) -
scīmus (we know), scītis (you all know), sciunt (they know)
Note: The 1st person singular ends in -iō, characteristic of 4th conjugation verbs.
Imperfect Indicative Active: -
sciēbam (I was knowing/used to know), sciēbās, sciēbat -
sciēbāmus, sciēbātis, sciēbant
Future Indicative Active: -
sciam (I will know), sciēs, sciet -
sciēmus, sciētis, scient
Important: The future form sciam is identical to the present subjunctive. Context distinguishes them.
Perfect Indicative Active (two forms, both classical): -
Regular: scīvī, scīvistī, scīvit, scīvimus, scīvistis, scīvērunt -
Syncopated: sciī, scīstī, sciit, scīmus, scīstis, sciērunt
Both forms are authentic Classical Latin. The syncopated form drops the -v- between vowels.
Pluperfect: scīveram/scieram (I had known) Future Perfect: scīverō/scierō (I will have known)
1. Direct Object (Accusative): When expressing knowledge of a thing or fact, scīre takes a direct object in the accusative: -
Magister multa scit = “The teacher knows many things” -
Puer grammaticam scit = “The boy knows grammar”
2. Complementary Infinitive: When expressing practical knowledge or ability (”know how to”), scīre takes a complementary infinitive: -
Scit natāre = “He knows how to swim” -
Scit Latīnē loquī = “He knows how to speak Latin”
3. Accusative + Infinitive (Indirect Statement): When expressing knowledge of a statement or fact, scīre introduces an accusative + infinitive construction: -
Sciō tē bonum esse = “I know that you are good” -
Subject of infinitive (tē) → accusative -
Predicate (bonum) → accusative -
Verb → infinitive (esse) -
Scīvī Rōmam urbem magnam esse = “I learned that Rome was a great city”
When scīre introduces an indirect question, the verb in the question goes into the subjunctive: -
Nōn sciō quid fēceris = “I don’t know what you have done” -
Scīre cupiō quid cōgitēs = “I desire to know what you are thinking”
The present active participle sciēns, scientis means “knowing, aware”: -
Vir sciēns = “a knowing man” -
Sciēns fēcit = “He did it knowingly” (intentionally, not by accident)
This participle is the source of English “science,” “conscience,” “conscious,” and “prescient.”
The compound nesciō, nescīre (< nē + sciō) means “not to know, be ignorant of”: -
Nesciō = “I don’t know” -
Quis nescit? = “Who doesn’t know?” (rhetorical: “Everyone knows”)
Special Idiom: nesciō quis/quid = “someone/something or other, I don’t know who/what” -
nesciō an + subjunctive = “I don’t know whether” → often means “perhaps, probably”
scītus, -a, -um means “known” and functions as a standard adjective: -
Hoc scītum est omnibus = “This is known by all” -
Rēs scīta = “a known thing”
Error 1: Mixing perfect stem forms -
❌ INCORRECT: scīvīvī (double perfect ending) -
✓ CORRECT: scīvī OR sciī (choose one form consistently)
Error 2: Using indicative in indirect statement -
❌ INCORRECT: Sciō quod tū bonus es (indicative mood) -
✓ CORRECT: Sciō tē bonum esse (ACC+INF construction)
Error 3: Confusing future and present subjunctive -
Form sciam could be: -
Future indicative: “I will know” -
Present subjunctive: “I may know” -
Context determines meaning
Error 4: Wrong construction for “know how to” -
❌ INCORRECT: Scit natātiōnem (knowledge of swimming as fact) -
✓ CORRECT: Scit natāre (ability to swim = complementary infinitive)
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The verb scīre occupies a central position in Roman intellectual life. Roman education (disciplīna) progressed through stages: the grammaticus taught litterae (letters), while the rhētor taught ōrātōria (oratory). To scīre something meant not just factual knowledge but genuine competence - both theoretical understanding and practical application.
Roman philosophers distinguished carefully between types of knowledge: -
scīre (to know) - established, certain knowledge -
cognōscere (to learn, recognize) - the process of coming to know -
nōscere (to become acquainted with) - familiarity through experience -
intellegere (to understand) - deep comprehension -
sentīre (to perceive) - direct sensory awareness
Cicero, heavily influenced by Greek Skeptic philosophy (the Academic school), often explored the limits of human knowledge. He distinguished between scīre (knowing with certainty) and opīnārī (having an opinion). The Stoics claimed that only the wise man (sapiens) truly “knows” (scit) because only he has epistemic certainty.
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) frequently deployed scīre in his speeches with devastating rhetorical effect. In the First Catilinarian Oration (63 BC), one of the most famous speeches in Latin literature, Cicero uses knowledge claims to assert his control:
“Quis nescit?“ (”Who doesn’t know?”) - a rhetorical question implying universal knowledge
The formula sciō, videō, sentiō (”I know, I see, I perceive”) appears frequently in Cicero, creating a triple assertion of certainty that overwhelms opposition.
The common particle scīlicet (< scīre licet, “it is permitted to know”) evolved to mean “clearly, obviously, of course.” This contraction shows how thoroughly scīre permeated Latin idiom - something so obvious that anyone is “permitted to know” it.
scīre works across all registers: -
Formal/Literary: Found throughout classical prose and poetry -
Conversational: Common in Cicero’s letters and Plautine comedy -
Technical: Used in legal (iūs scīre = know the law) and philosophical contexts
The verb appears in all genres: oratory, history, philosophy, comedy, epic poetry, and personal correspondence.
scīre remained stable throughout the classical period (roughly 100 BC - 100 AD) with no significant dialectal variation. Both the regular perfect scīvī and syncopated sciī were used contemporaneously, with sciī perhaps slightly more elegant or poetic.
By late antiquity, scīre began to compete with sapere (originally “be wise”) for the meaning “to know,” a shift that continues in Romance languages (Spanish saber, French savoir).
The noun scientia (knowledge, science) derived from scīre was considered one of the fundamental intellectual virtues. The phrase vir sciēns et sapiēns (a knowing and wise man) combines factual knowledge (sciēns) with wisdom (sapiēns), representing the Roman educational ideal.
Roman law required certain officials to have scientia iūris (knowledge of law). To scīre the law meant not just familiarity but deep, practical understanding capable of application.
English speakers should note: -
scīre → English “science” (through scientia) -
sciēns → English “conscience,” “conscious,” “prescient” -
NOT related to English “sire” (from Latin senior) -
The present participle sciēns gives us the entire English semantic field of consciousness and science
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Marcone Marcon Crasso to Crassus putās do you think utile useful fuisse to have been scīre to know sibi for him esse to be pereundum going to perish cum when maximīs greatest opibus with wealth fortūnīsque and fortunes flōrēbat he was flourishing
F-B.1 Marcone Crasso putās utile fuisse scīre sibi esse pereundum, cum maximīs opibus fortūnīsque flōrēbat?
“Do you think it would have been useful for Marcus Crassus to know that he was destined to perish, when he was flourishing with the greatest resources and fortunes?”
Marcone Crasso putās utile fuisse scīre sibi esse pereundum, cum maximīs opibus fortūnīsque flōrēbat?
This passage from Cicero’s philosophical dialogue De Divinatione (On Divination) showcases advanced usage of scīre in a complex infinitive construction.
Structure Analysis: -
Main verb: putās (do you think) - introduces indirect question -
utile fuisse = “it to have been useful” (accusative + perfect infinitive) -
scīre = complementary infinitive depending on utile -
sibi esse pereundum = accusative + infinitive with gerundive expressing future necessity
Translation breakdown: -
scīre sibi esse pereundum literally means “to know for himself there being a necessity-to-perish” -
The gerundive pereundum (neuter accusative) with esse creates a construction of necessity/destiny -
sibi is dative of reference (”for himself”)
Historical Context: Marcus Licinius Crassus (115-53 BC) was one of Rome’s wealthiest men and a member of the First Triumvirate with Pompey and Caesar. He died in a disastrous military campaign against the Parthians at Carrhae in 53 BC. Cicero uses Crassus as an example in his argument against divination: even if one could know the future, would such knowledge be beneficial?
Rhetorical Purpose: The rhetorical question (Marcone... putās) expects the answer “no” - Crassus would have been happier not knowing his terrible fate. Cicero argues that foreknowledge of unavoidable disaster brings only anxiety, not utility.
Philosophical Import: This passage reflects Cicero’s Skeptic Academic philosophy: certain knowledge, especially of the future, may not only be impossible but undesirable. The verb scīre here represents not just factual knowledge but burdensome certainty.
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172.16 In in scholā school magister the teacher discipulōs the students interrogat questions
172.17 Quid what est is scientia knowledge inquit he says
172.18 Discipulus the student prīmus first respondet answers Scientia knowledge est is certa certain cōgnitiō knowledge rērum of things
172.19 Magister the teacher nōdum now adsēnsit assented Bene well dīxistī you spoke
172.20 Sed but quōmodo how scīmus do we know aliquid something certō certainly
172.21 Discipula the student secunda second dīxit said Sciō I know mē myself vīvere to live quia because cōgitō I think
172.22 Optimē excellently clāmāvit exclaimed magister the teacher
172.23 Sed but scimusne do we know an whether mundus the world externus external rē in fact vērā truly exsistat exists
172.24 Discipulus the student tertius third haesitāvit hesitated Nesciō I do not know certē certainly
172.25 Forte perhaps sōmniāmus we dream omnia all things
172.26 Magister the teacher subrīsit smiled Scītis you know philosophōs philosophers antīquōs ancient haec these quaestiōnēs questions agitāvisse to have discussed
172.27 Scepticī the skeptics dīcēbant used to say nōs we nihil nothing scīre to know posse to be able
172.28 Stōicī the Stoics contrā on the other hand putābant thought sapientem the wise man omnia all things vēra true scīre to know
172.29 Discipula the student quārta fourth rogāvit asked Magister teacher tū you quid what crēdis do you believe
172.30 Magister the teacher lentē slowly respondit answered Sciō I know mē myself nesquam scarcely multum much scīre to know
172.16 In scholā, magister discipulōs interrogat “In the school, the teacher questions the students”
172.17 “Quid est scientia?” inquit “’What is knowledge?’ he says”
172.18 Discipulus prīmus respondet: “Scientia est certa cōgnitiō rērum” “The first student answers: ‘Knowledge is certain understanding of things’”
172.19 Magister nōdum adsēnsit: “Bene dīxistī” “The teacher nodded in agreement: ‘You spoke well’”
172.20 “Sed quōmodo scīmus aliquid certō?” “’But how do we know anything with certainty?’”
172.21 Discipula secunda dīxit: “Sciō mē vīvere, quia cōgitō” “The second student said: ‘I know that I live, because I think’”
172.22 “Optimē!” clāmāvit magister “’Excellent!’ exclaimed the teacher”
172.23 “Sed scimusne an mundus externus rē vērā exsistat?” “’But do we know whether the external world truly exists?’”
172.24 Discipulus tertius haesitāvit: “Nesciō certē” “The third student hesitated: ‘I don’t know for certain’”
172.25 “Forte sōmniāmus omnia” “’Perhaps we are dreaming everything’”
172.26 Magister subrīsit: “Scītis philosophōs antīquōs haec quaestiōnēs agitāvisse” “The teacher smiled: ‘You know that ancient philosophers discussed these questions’”
172.27 “Scepticī dīcēbant nōs nihil scīre posse” “’The Skeptics said that we could know nothing’”
172.28 “Stōicī contrā putābant sapientem omnia vēra scīre” “’The Stoics, on the contrary, thought that the wise man knows all true things’”
172.29 Discipula quārta rogāvit: “Magister, tū quid crēdis?” “The fourth student asked: ‘Teacher, what do you believe?’”
172.30 Magister lentē respondit: “Sciō mē nesquam multum scīre” “The teacher slowly replied: ‘I know that I hardly know much’”
172.16 In scholā, magister discipulōs interrogat
172.17 “Quid est scientia?” inquit
172.18 Discipulus prīmus respondet: “Scientia est certa cōgnitiō rērum”
172.19 Magister nōdum adsēnsit: “Bene dīxistī”
172.20 “Sed quōmodo scīmus aliquid certō?”
172.21 Discipula secunda dīxit: “Sciō mē vīvere, quia cōgitō”
172.22 “Optimē!” clāmāvit magister
172.23 “Sed scimusne an mundus externus rē vērā exsistat?”
172.24 Discipulus tertius haesitāvit: “Nesciō certē”
172.25 “Forte sōmniāmus omnia”
172.26 Magister subrīsit: “Scītis philosophōs antīquōs haec quaestiōnēs agitāvisse”
172.27 “Scepticī dīcēbant nōs nihil scīre posse”
172.28 “Stōicī contrā putābant sapientem omnia vēra scīre”
172.29 Discipula quārta rogāvit: “Magister, tū quid crēdis?”
172.30 Magister lentē respondit: “Sciō mē nesquam multum scīre”
This philosophical dialogue demonstrates advanced usage of scīre across multiple construction types:
Indirect Statement (ACC+INF): -
Sciō mē vīvere (172.21) = “I know that I live” -
Subject: mē (accusative) -
Verb: vīvere (infinitive) -
Sciō mē nesquam multum scīre (172.30) = “I know that I hardly know much” -
Nested infinitive: scīre depends on sciō -
Subject of second infinitive: mē
Indirect Question: -
scimusne an mundus... exsistat (172.23) = “do we know whether the world exists” -
Question word: an (whether) -
Verb in subjunctive: exsistat
Infinitive with Modal Verb: -
nōs nihil scīre posse (172.27) = “that we could know nothing” -
posse (to be able) + scīre (to know) -
Double infinitive construction
Perfect Infinitive: -
philosophōs... agitāvisse (172.26) = “that philosophers discussed” -
scītis introduces ACC+INF -
Perfect infinitive shows completed action
Pedagogical Note: The dialogue recreates a Socratic classroom discussion, appropriate for exploring scīre since Socrates famously claimed to “know that he knew nothing” - exactly the sentiment expressed in the teacher’s final line (172.30). The progression from simple statements (172.16-17) to complex nested infinitives (172.30) models the pedagogical scaffolding approach for teaching this essential verb.
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The verb scīre follows standard Latin phonological rules:
scīre [ˈskiː.rɛ] -
sc- = [sk] - always pronounced as two separate sounds, never as [ʃ] (modern “sh”) -
ī = [iː] - long vowel, sustained for two mora (like English “ee” in “see”) -
-re = [rɛ] - rolled/trilled R + short E
Stress Pattern: In scīre, the penult (second-to-last syllable) is long, so stress falls there: SCĪ-re
Common Forms: -
sciō [ˈski.oː] - two syllables, stress on first -
scīs [skiːs] - one syllable, naturally stressed -
scit [skit] - one syllable (rhymes with English “skit”) -
scīmus [ˈskiː.mʊs] - stress on first syllable (long) -
scītis [ˈskiː.tɪs] - stress on first syllable (long) -
sciunt [ˈski.ʊnt] - two syllables, stress on first (diphthong doesn’t count as long)
Perfect Forms: -
scīvī [ˈskiː.wiː] - stress on first syllable -
sciī [ˈski.iː] - two syllables (not contracted into one), stress on first
Participle: -
sciēns [ˈski.ɛns] - two syllables, stress on first -
scientis [skiˈɛn.tɪs] - stress on penult (long by position: -ent-)
Long Vowel Marking: In modern editions, the macron (¯) marks long vowels: scīre. Ancient inscriptions rarely marked vowel length, so context and meter determined pronunciation.
sc- Digraph: The letters SC always represent [sk] in Classical Latin. Never pronounce this as [ʃ] (English “sh”) or [s] - these are later developments in Romance languages.
Syncopation in Perfect: The syncopated form sciī (< scīvī) shows typical Latin contraction: when [w] (written V) falls between two vowels, it often drops out: -
scī-v-ī → scī-ī → sciī (but kept as two syllables)
Enclitic -ne: In questions, -ne attaches to the first word: -
scīsne = scīs + -ne = “do you know?” -
Pronounced [skiːs.nɛ], stress remains on scīs
❌ WRONG: Pronouncing sc- as [ʃ] (like “she”) ✓ RIGHT: [sk] (like “sky”)
❌ WRONG: Short -i- in scīre [ˈskɪ.rɛ] ✓ RIGHT: Long -ī- [ˈskiː.rɛ]
❌ WRONG: Merging sciī into one syllable [skiː] ✓ RIGHT: Two syllables [ˈski.iː]
❌ WRONG: Non-trilled R sound [ɹ] (English R) ✓ RIGHT: Trilled/rolled R [r] (Spanish-style R)
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The Latinum Institute has been creating online language learning materials since 2006, specializing in the construed reading method (interlinear glossing) for efficient language acquisition. This systematic approach allows autodidact students to access authentic Latin texts progressively.
Course Philosophy:
This Classical Latin course follows a frequency-based vocabulary progression, teaching the 1000 most common Latin words in order of their actual occurrence in classical texts. Lesson 172 focuses on scīre (to know), ranked #172 in the Dickinson College Core Vocabulary - one of the most scientifically determined frequency lists for Classical Latin.
The Construed Reading Method:
Each lesson provides three progressive presentations of the same material: -
Interlinear Construed Text (Section A) - Granular word-by-word glossing with pronunciation -
Natural Sentences (Section B) - Complete Latin sentences with idiomatic English translations -
Target Language Only (Section C) - Pure Latin text for reading practice
This method accelerates comprehension by allowing students to see structure and meaning simultaneously, then gradually removing the scaffolding as competence increases.
Authentic Materials:
Every lesson includes authentic excerpts from classical authors (Section F). For this lesson, we featured Cicero’s De Divinatione, demonstrating real usage of scīre in philosophical discourse. Students learn not from artificial textbook Latin, but from the same texts that have been read for two millennia.
Progressive Grammar:
Grammar explanations (Section D) build cumulatively, assuming knowledge from previous lessons while introducing new concepts systematically. By lesson 172, students can handle complex constructions like accusative + infinitive, indirect questions, and perfect system formations.
Cultural Context:
Section E provides historical and cultural background, connecting linguistic forms to Roman intellectual life, philosophy, education, and rhetorical practice. Language learning becomes cultural education.
Quality and Accuracy:
Every lesson undergoes verification against authoritative sources including the Dickinson Core Vocabulary, Lewis & Short dictionary, and actual classical text databases. Pronunciation follows scholarly consensus on Classical Latin phonology.
For More Information: -
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index -
Latinum Institute: https://latinum.org.uk -
Reviews: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
Student Support:
The construed reading format is self-explanatory and suitable for independent study. Each lesson is complete and self-contained, allowing students to work at their own pace. The 30 examples per lesson (15 basic + 15 genre-specific) provide sufficient practice for pattern recognition and internalization.
Next Steps:
Continue with Lesson 173 to maintain systematic vocabulary acquisition, or review previous lessons to consolidate knowledge. The frequency-based progression ensures that every word learned is immediately useful for reading classical texts.
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