TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Classics > Latin Expressing Obligation
There are three different ways of expressing obligation in Latin.
"Ought To"
The verb "debere" means "to ought to". If this is put in a sentence with an infinitive, it can express obligation.
nos ad urbem currere debemus
literally: we ought to run to the city
translate as: we must run to the city
"It is necessary"
If the participle "necesse" appears in a sentence with a form of the verb "esse" and an infinitive, it can express obligation.
nobis ad urbem currere necesse est
literally: it is necessary for us to run to the city
translate as: we must run to the city
Gerunds
Gerunds are special forms of verbs that are 'verbal nouns'. They are formed by adding -ndum to the present stem of the verb, and decline like neuter nouns.
nobis ad urbem currendum est
literally: running to the city is for us
translate as: we must run to the city
