Causal Clauses
Causal clauses are dependent clauses that explain why or for what reason the action of the main clause happens. There are a number of conjunctions that can introduce causal clauses (quod, quia, quoniam, cum). These clauses can take either the indicative or the subjunctive, depending on the conjunction in question.
Quod and quia can be used with the indicative or the subjunctive. When used with the indicative, quod and quia indicate that the stated cause is true in the eyes of the sentence’s writer or speaker. They use the subjunctive to indicate that the stated cause is true in the eyes of someone who is not the writer or speaker.
- pācem nolō quod difficilis est. (I do not want peace because (to my mind) it is difficult.)
- pācem noluit quod difficilis esset. (He does not want peace because (to his mind) it is difficult.)
NB: quod as a causal conjunction meaning “because” can be differentiated from the relative pronoun quite easily. If there is no neuter singular antecedent, then quod cannot be a pronoun.
Quoniam is used almost solely with the indicative to introduce a cause that is true in the eyes of the writer or speaker.
- Quoniam puellam amat, mittere eum ad bellum nolo. (Because he loves the girl, I do not wish to send him to war.)
Cum clauses that feature a subjunctive verb can indicate cause. In these cases, we translate cum as “because.”
- Cum puellam amaret, fortiter pugnavit. (Because he loved the girl, he fought bravely.)
Note that in the sentence above, it would not make any sense if you translate it as “when.” The context makes it clear that the cum clause answers the question “why” or “for what reason did he fight bravely?” rather than the question “when did he fight bravely?”
If there is a causal clause in indirect statement, the causal clause will always have a subjunctive verb. Can you think of reason why this might be the case based on the details explained above?
Also, as noted in the section on participle translation, participles can also be translated causally.