Expert: Maria - 9/22/2007

Question
please could you suggest a latin translation for
"May I be happy,mayI be well"
thank you

g

Answer
Hello,

The sentence “May I be happy, may I be well" can be translated as follows:

-“Utinam felix sim, utinam valeam”.

Or more concisely:

-“Utinam valeam ac felix sim”.

Best regards,
Maria
_________________________________
Note that:

-May = UTINAM (an adverb used to introduce a wish , i.e. an optative  subjunctive)

-I be = SIM (optative subjunctive in the present of the verb SUM, I am)

-happy = FELIX (nominative case)

-may  = UTINAM

-I be well = VALEAM (optative subjunctive in the present of the verb VALEO, I am well)

As you can see, Latin word order can be different from English.