As, When: ut

As: Ut

Level 5

Ut and an indicative verb: as, or when.

How It Works

Meaning	Example
as	ut dixi (as I said)
when, as soon as	ut Romam venit (when he came to Rome)
as ... so	ut sementem feceris, ita metes (as you sow, so you will reap)

When ut means when, the verb is usually perfect, and it names something that happened just before the main verb. A story may use the present instead.

The Vulgate often opens with et factum est (and it came to pass) and then gives a time with ut. The ut still means when.

Ut with the indicative can also mean how: ut vales? (how are you?).

Ut dixi, Romam cras eo.
As I said, I am going to Rome tomorrow.
Ut dixi is a perfect indicative: as I said.
Ut Romam venit, statim ad forum ivit.
When he came to Rome, he went straight to the forum.
Ut with the perfect venit gives the time: as soon as he came.
Ut sementem feceris, ita metes.
As you sow, so you will reap.
The future perfect feceris sits before the future metes. Ut and ita make a matched pair. Cicero quotes this saying in De Oratore 2.261.
Ut audivit salutationem Mariae Elisabeth, exsultavit infans in utero eius.
When Elisabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.
Luke 1:41. Ut audivit is when she heard. The Vulgate puts et factum est before it.

Putting the verb in the subjunctive when you mean when or as.
Ut Romam veniret, Marcum vidit.
Ut Romam venit, Marcum vidit.
Ut with the imperfect subjunctive veniret would turn ut into a purpose or result word. For when he came to Rome, use the indicative venit.

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

As, When: utLevel 5As: Ut

Ut with the indicative means as or when, and ut with the subjunctive means so that, so purpose clauses come first.

Patterns that build on this one.

ututita

Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Latin lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.