手早い答え
latente は存在するが潜在・非活動、patente は明白で顕在です。
確実な見分け方は、英語から訳す前に、その単語の働きを見きわめることです。
それぞれの単語の働き
latente
latent or hidden
Use latente for present as an undeveloped possibility or concealed condition.
patente
evident or unmistakable
Use patente for clearly visible, manifest, or beyond reasonable concealment.
選び方
- latente: Choose latente if the sentence points to present as an undeveloped possibility or concealed condition.
- patente: Choose patente if the sentence points to clearly visible, manifest, or beyond reasonable concealment.
例文
O conflito permaneceu latente por anos.
The conflict remained latent for years.
A contradição ficou patente no depoimento.
The contradiction became evident in the testimony.
よくある落とし穴
Patente also names an intellectual-property right and a military rank. The “evident” meaning depends on context.
文脈の中で練習する
自分の実生活から文を一つ選び、二回書いてみましょう。一度はlatenteで、もう一度はpatenteで。どちらも成り立ちそうなら、意味の違いを言葉にしてみましょう。