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I have been trying to translate this English phrase into Latin properly, and I started to check it in some resources.

In this text it goes: "..., cum de tuis cogitas,...". And I have no idea why there is "cum" there but by the looks of it cogitāre dē + ablative seems to be valid.

Also here it only uses with de + abl, without cum.

So my questions are:

a. Is the correct translation of I am thinking of you in Latin dē tē cōgitō? If not, please indicate me into right direction. Am I using the wrong verb? What am I doing wrong?

b. Why is it used with a cum in Cicero's text? Does that change its meaning?

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    Welcome to the site! de + ablative + cogitare is indeed a pretty common construction.
    – Adam
    Feb 14, 2022 at 19:46

1 Answer 1

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A: Indeed, de te cogito is a valid construction and supported by the Cicero quote you have.

B: Here cum is not a preposition but a conjunction. It has no effect on how de works.

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    Ahh so something like: "cum dē tē cōgitō" would mean "when I think of you"? - Also thanks. :)
    – Jacqueline
    Feb 15, 2022 at 19:12
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    @Jacqueline Exactly! And you are most welcome.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta ♦
    Feb 15, 2022 at 20:45

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