Latin should be begun as early as possible--at a time when inflected speech seems no more astonishing than any other phenomenon in an astonishing world; and when the chanting of "Amo, amas, amat" is as ritually agreeable to the feelings as the chanting of "eeny, meeny, miney, moe." Read "The Lost Tools of Learning"
(Psalm 71)... Speravi in Latin (to hope) comes from sparevi, speravi ... which means to be aware of our abilities and character. So "In te Domine, speravi" is to be aware of God's abilities and character. This is what gives us hope. We to often forget to be AWARE that God is the great I Am and we are not.
Original text and translations
Latin text
In te Domine speravi ne confundar in aeternum:
In iustitia tua libera me.
English translation
In thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion.
Deliver me in thy justice.
In 1719 Isaac Watts wrote this poem based on Psalm 71
The aged saint's reflection and hope.
My God, my everlasting hope,
I live upon thy truth;
Thine hands have held my childhood up,
And strengthened all my youth.
My flesh was fashioned by thy power,
With all these limbs of mine;
And from my mother's painful hour,
I've been entirely thine.
Still has my life new wonders seen
Repeated every year;
Behold, my days that yet remain,
I trust them to thy care.
Cast me not off when strength declines,
When hoary hairs arise;
And round me let thy glory shine,
Whene'er thy servant dies.
Then in the hist'ry of my age,
When men review my days,
They'll read thy love in every page,
In every line thy praise.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the following lines:
Shall we sit idly down and say,
The night hath come; it is no longer day?
The night hath not yet come; we are not quite
Cut off from labor by the failing light;
Something remains for us to do or dare;
Even the oldest tree some fruit may bear.
Latin for Children FLASH CARDS, Primer A, B, & C (PDF) LFC, Primer A - Latin Deck - English Deck LFC, Primer B - Latin Deck - English Deck LFC, Primer C - Latin Deck - English Deck Decks are split into two different decks (Latin & English) so that you can print them separately or on the backs of each other (single sided or double sided)
91 pages of exercises, quizzes & tests (modified July, '07 PDF) & Answer Key (PDF, Nov, '07) for use with LFC, Primer A. FREE to copy, use and distribute (not for resale). These files have been contributed by various authors. Feel free to submit your worksheets for consideration.
36 pages of exercises (PDF) for use with LFC, Primer B. FREE to copy, use and distribute (not for resale). Thanks to all who contributed. Answer Key (PDF).
LFC B, Who's Who? (PDF). Find out who the mystery images are throughout the textbook.
Why Study Latin? (PDF) Author Karen Moore explains 5-reasons why it's useful to add Latin to your child's education.
English has a similar construct called progressive past. Actions seem incomplete, and so the imperfect label. For example, "I was running," "We were sailing," "They were calling." Note that 'to be' is always there. Latin, however, would sometimes use imperfect like simple past; accordingly, "We were sailing" could be translated as "We sailed." Other translations of imperfect can be used to/kept such as "We used to sail/We kept sailing."
Regardless of language, the concept of an imperfect is important. Imperfect is called imperfect for a reason - in Latin, the verb "perficere" means to finish/complete, which is what perfect is from. Thus, imperfect, in the grammatical sense, means not finished - that the action could be or could not be completed. Perfect instead means it has been finished - I saw. You have already seen, and it is now completed. I was seeing implies that the action is not yet completed.
The perfect tense, which we will learn later, is a more immediate reference to the past. The name, imperfect, helps you remember its use: in situations where you can't say when an event started or ended or happened, you must use the imperfect.
In situations where you can know when an event started or ended or happened, use the perfect.
You conjugate the imperfect tense this way: verb + ba + personal ending
Note that the only thing we add are ba + the personal endings (the same as in the present tense) to the infinitive stem. This gives us the imperfect conjugation.
Note that in third and fourth conjugations, you will have to form it differently. There is *no* rule to explain this, it just is, although there are memorization techniques that can help.
venire is 4th conjugation and is formed like: veniebam veniebas veniebat veniebamus veniebatis veniebant
For third conjugation, an example used in some textbooks/study guides is: capere (to capture or seize)
Note that it is easiest to think of what the endings -ere and ire lack. The imperfect -ba + the personal ending, which we can call the imperfect conjugation, must be prefixed by ie.
A few examples:
amabam - I was loving (A-conjugation--1st) monebatis - You were warning [object/personage] (of something negative) (Pl.) (2nd Conjugation) vinciebamus - We were defeating (long I-conjugation--3rd conjugation) capiebant - They were catching (short I-conjugation--3rd conjugation) pellebat - She/he/it was propelling (drive something (not a vehicle), propel something) (consonantic conjugation)
(Wiki-reading tips: See discussion. Some of the above may be unclear, however the clarifying '--' and '/' indicate verification. We may not know what the original author intended, but we know what conjugations the examples are.)
Pronouns are nouns which are used instead of another noun ('pro', in place of 'noun', noun.)
There are three catagories of pronouns which are divided up into persons: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
• 1st person refers to the person speaking, I, we. • 2nd person refers to the person addressed, thou, ye (you and you all). • 3rd person is for everything else (he, she, it, they (insert any noun here).
In addition, pronouns can be singular or plural. They are declined like all other nouns.
• I is 1st person singular (only me), we is 1st person plural (me and others). • Thou/you is 2nd person singular (only thee), ye/ you all is 2nd person plural (you and others). • He, she, it is 3rd person singular (he/she/it is one), (they are many).
Personal Pronouns in Latin
1st/2nd Person Pronouns
[edit]Table of Personal Pronouns in all of their cases: I, thou, we, ye
Note: Thou is the archaic singular of the archaic plural ye - useful for distinguishing you (singular) from you (plural)
Singular
Plural
Case
1st Person
2nd Person
1st Person
2nd Person
Nominative
ego
I
tū
you
nōs
we
vōs
you
Genitive
meī
of me
tuī
of you
nostrī(nostrum)
of us
vestrī (vestrum)
of you
Dative
mihi
to me
tibi
to you
nōbīs
to us
vōbīs
to you
Accusative
mē
me
tē
you
nōs
us
vōs
you
Ablative
mē
from me
tē
from you
nōbīs
from us
vōbīs
from you
Nota Bene: the genitive is used in certain phrases like:
memor nostrī, mindful of us
paucī vestrum, a few of you.
For the possessive uses (my sister, your bicycle), Latin does not use the genitive, but the possessive adjectives:
meus, mea, meum = my;
tuus, tua, tuum = thy;
suus, sua, sum = his/hers/its/their;
noster, nostra, nostrum = our;
vester, vestra, vestrum = your
Example: Pater noster = Our Father
3rd Person Pronouns
Technically 3rd person pronouns do not exist in Latin as they do in English. However they do have equivalents.
Adjectives modify nouns and take the gender of the noun in which it modifies. However adjectives do not necessarily need a substantive present in the sentence to modify. The substantive can be presumed. In this way, '3rd person' pronouns are formed.
Example 1
Take the masculine form of the adjective 'ille'. Literally it means 'That (masculine) thing.' However one could take it for simply meaning 'he', depending on the context. Similarly, the pronoun 'iste' means 'this (masc.) thing'. Iste and ille are declined in exactly the same way.
If no substantive is provided assume words like these: 'man', 'woman', 'thing', 'idea', 'concept', 'reason' etc. Let context be your guide.
Common Adjectives Used as 3rd Person Pronouns In Latin
Declension of Ille (that)
Declension of ille (that): Singular
Latin
English
Masculine
Feminine
Neuter
Masculine
Feminine
Neuter
Nominative
ille
illa
illud
he
she
it
Genitive
illīus
illīus
illīus
his
her, hers
its
Dative
illī
illī
illī
to him
to her
to it
Accusative
illum
illam
illud
him
her
it
Ablative
illō
illā
illō
by, with, from him
her
it
Declension of ille (that): Plural
Latin
English
Masculine
Feminine
Neuter
Nominative
illī
illae
illa
they, those
Genitive
illōrum
illārum
illōrum
their, theirs, of those
Dative
illīs
illīs
illīs
to them, to those
Accusative
illōs
illās
illa
them, those
Ablative
illīs
illis
illīs
by, with, from them, those
Ille is often used as a kind of pronoun.
Examples of the Usage of Ille:
1. ille est dominus - he is the master (ille as pronoun) 2. ille dominus est malus - that master is bad (ille as adjective) 3. illam videt - he sees her (or 'she sees her' - illam as pronoun) 4. illam puellam videt - he (or she) sees that girl (illam as adjective).
Declension of Is, ea, id: (personal pronouns w/ translations)
M: F: N: Nominative is ea id he she it
Genitive eius eius eius his her, hers its Dative eī eī eī to him to her to it Accusative eum eam id him her it Ablative eō eā eō by, with, from him, her, it.
Nominative ei eae ea they, those
Genitive eōrum eārum eōrum their, theirs, of those Dative eīs,iīs eīs,iīs eīs,iīs to them, to those Accusative eos eās ea them, those Ablative eīs,iīs eīs,iīs eīs,iīs by, with, from them, those
Like ille, is can be used as a form of a pronoun.
Examples of the Usage of Is
1. is est dominus - he is the master (is as pronoun) 2. is dominus est malus - that master is bad (is as adjective) 3. eam videt - he sees her (or 'she sees her' - eam as pronoun) 4. eam puellam videt - he (or she) sees that girl (eam as adjective).
Declension of the Relative pronoun qui, quae, quod: (meaning who, which, he)
M: F: N: Nominative quī quae quod who who which Genitive cuīus cuīus cuīus whose Dative cuī cuī cuī to whom to whom to which Accusative quem quam quod whom whom which Ablative quō quā quō by, with, from whom, which.
Nominative qui quae quae who who which Genitive quorum quarum quorum whose Dative quibus quibus quibus to whom, to which Accusative quos quas quos whom whom which Ablative quibus quibus quibus by, with, from whom, which
Notice that the same forms are used to ask a question, with the following exceptions:
M: F: N: Nominative quis quis quid who which what Accusative quem quam quid whom which what
Uses of the Relative Pronoun
The relative pronoun takes on the case depending on the function it serves in the relative clause. For example, in the sentence "He sees the man who has a slave," "who" is translated as nominative because it is the subject of the clause "who has a slave." The antecedent (noun to which the pronoun refers) is usually before the relative clause.
Examples of the Usage of the Relative Pronoun
Virum videt (he/she sees) quiservum (servant) habet (he/she has).
Nota Bene: Puer uses the same suffixes as all other 2nd declension masculine nouns, except it omits the -us suffix in the nominative. Ager, a second declension noun meaning 'field' has no suffix in the nominative like puer, and in addition drops the 'e' when in other cases other than the nominative (see table)
Memorise this extended table.
Exercises
Give the accusative singular for:
lud-us
magn-us
triclīni-um
bell-um
puell-a
serv-us
ager
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the accusative singular.▲
ludum
magnum
triclīnium
bellum
puellam
servum
agrum
Give the accusative singular for:
lud-us
magn-us
triclīni-um
bell-um
puell-a
serv-us
ager
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the accusative singular.▼
ludum
magnum
triclīnium
bellum
puellam
servum
agrum
Give the accusative plural for:
lud-us
magn-us
triclīni-um
bell-um
puell-a
serv-us
ager
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the accusative plural.▲
ludos
magnos
triclīnia
bella
puellas
servos
agros
Give the accusative plural for:
lud-us
magn-us
triclīni-um
bell-um
puell-a
serv-us
ager
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the accusative plural.▼
ludos
magnos
triclīnia
bella
puellas
servos
agros
Give the nominative singular for:
bon-ī
bell-a
triclīni-a
puell-am
agr-ōs
serv-ōs
puell-ae
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the nominative singular.▲
bonus
bellum
triclīnium
puella
ager
servus
puella
Give the nominative singular for:
bon-ī
bell-a
triclīni-a
puell-am
agr-ōs
serv-ōs
puell-ae
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Give the nominative singular.▼
bonus
bellum
triclīnium
puella
ager
servus
puella
Grammar: The Accusative
As you learned in the last lesson, the verb 'esse' (to be) usually takes the nominative case, because then the word after it is a complement. Most other verbs take the 'accusative' case.
In a sentence, the accusative is the "what" - in English grammar, this is known as the direct object.
For example: The girl sells the box.
What did the girl sell? The box. Thus, box is the direct object, and when we translate it into Latin:
Example
English:
The girl
sells
the box.
Latin:
Puella
vendet
cistam.
Explanation:
NOMINATIVE
VERB
ACCUSATIVE
Cistam, then, is in the accusative, because it is the direct object.
Again, when an adjective describes a noun in the accusative case, the adjective must agree in number, case, and gender.
For example:
Example
English:
The girl
sells
the big
box.
Latin:
Puella
vendet
magnam
cistam.
Explanation:
NOMINATIVE
VERB
ADJECTIVE ACCUSATIVE
NOUN ACCUSATIVE
Examples of Adjectives Agreeing with the Nominative and Accusative Case
Abbreviations: NOM = nominative, ACC = accusative, S = singular, P = plural, m. = masculine, f. = feminine
Latin
English
Summary
bon-us lūd-us
The good school
(NOM S m.)
bon-um lūd-um
The good school
(ACC S m.)
bon-ī lūd-ī
The good schools
(NOM P m.)
bon-ōs lūd-ōs
The good schools
(ACC P m.)
bon-us puer
The good boy
(NOM S m.)
bon-ī puer-ī
The good boys
(NOM P m.)
bon-ōs puer-ōs
The good boys
(ACC P m.)
bon-um puer-um
The good boy
(ACC S m.)
bon-a puell-a
The good girl
(NOM S f.)
bon-am puell-am
The good girl
(ACC S f.)
bon-ae puell-ae
The good girls
(NOM P f.)
bon-ās puell-ās
The good girls
(ACC P f.)
Exercise 3
Determine whether the adjective agrees with the substantive in all three categories: case, gender, number.
Questions:
Does it Agree?
1. magn-us agr-ōs
True/False
2. magn-a puella
True/False
3. poet-a* bon-us
True/False
4. magn-um serv-um
True/False
5. poet-ae* magn-ae
True/False
6. bell-a magn-a
True/False
* Nota bene: Poeta (meaning poet) is a masculine noun, even though it ends in -a.
See table above. Determine whether the adjective (magnus, bonus..) agrees with the substantives (ager, puella, poeta) in both case (nominative, accusative...), gender (masculine, female and neuter) and number (singular and plural).
False.Magnus doesn't agree with agrōs; in number and case.
Magnus: Masculine, singular, nominative.
Agrōs: Masculine, plural, accusative.
True.Magna agrees with puella.
Magna: Feminine, singular, nominative.
Puella: Feminine, singular, nominative.
True.Bonus agrees with poeta.
Bonus: Masculine, singular, nominative.
Poeta: Masculine, singular, nominative.
True.Magnum agrees with servum.
Magnum: Neuter, singular, nominative.
Servum: Neuter, singular, nominative.
False.Magnae doesn't agree with poetae; in gender.
Magnae: Feminine, plural, nominative.
Poetae: Masculine, plural, nominative.
True.Bella agrees with magna.
Bella: Neuter, plural, nominative.
Magna: Neuter, plural, nominative.
See table above. Determine whether the adjective (magnus, bonus..) agrees with the substantives (ager, puella, poeta) in both case (nominative, accusative...), gender (masculine, female and neuter) and number (singular and plural).
False.Magnus doesn't agree with agrōs; in number and case.
Magnus: Masculine, singular, nominative.
Agrōs: Masculine, plural, accusative.
True.Magna agrees with puella.
Magna: Feminine, singular, nominative.
Puella: Feminine, singular, nominative.
True.Bonus agrees with poeta.
Bonus: Masculine, singular, nominative.
Poeta: Masculine, singular, nominative.
True.Magnum agrees with servum.
Magnum: Neuter, singular, nominative.
Servum: Neuter, singular, nominative.
False.Magnae doesn't agree with poetae; in gender.
Magnae: Feminine, plural, nominative.
Poetae: Masculine, plural, nominative.
True.Bella agrees with magna.
Bella: Neuter, plural, nominative.
Magna: Neuter, plural, nominative.
Grammar: The Use of the Accusative
Lesson Vocabulary
Latin
English
puell-a f.
girl
puer m.
boy
bell-um n. (2nd decl.)
war
(puer) ama-t
(the boy) loves
(puer) curri-t
(the boy) runs
(puer) porta-t
(the boy) carries
(puer) specta-t
(the boy) watches
(puer) da-t
(the boy) gives
fuisse fuī fuistī (puer) fuit fuimus fuistis fuērunt
to have been I have been you have been (the boy) has been we have been you (pl.) have been they have been
Nota Bene: 'fuisse' and all the forms of it, the past tense of 'esse', behaves exactly like the present tense.
The newly introduced verbs, ama-t, curri-t, and porta-t take the accusative as the 'object'. Unless specified, any verb you look up in the dictionary will take the accusative, not the nominative. This means transitive verbs, which are verbs that happen to someone or something, e.g.:
I heal you. (acc.) You make my day. (acc.) She hit your arm. (acc.)
In the examples above, the bold words are the subject of the sentence clause- and because something happens "to" them, they can't be in nominative.
Grammatical Explanation Using English Sentences
Grammatical Explanation 1
English:
The boy
hits
the car.
Explanation:
NOMINATIVE
VERB
ACCUSATIVE
Grammatical Explanation 2
English:
The girl
hugs
the boy.
Explanation:
NOMINATIVE
VERB
ACCUSATIVE
Grammatical Explanation 3
English:
He who
flees,
deserves
the guillotine.
Explanation:
NOMINATIVE
VERB
VERB
ACCUSATIVE
Exercise 4: Find the Nominative and Accusative
Find the Nominative and Accusative (if present) in each the sentence.
The boy is good.
The girl kisses the boy.
The boy gives the book.
The child watches the TV.
Whom it concerns.
To the kitchen I run
I eat the pizza.
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Find the Nominative and Accusative (if present) in each the sentence.▲
The boy {nom} is good {nom}.
Puer {nom} est bonus {nom}.
The girl {nom} kisses the boy {acc}.
Puella {nom} puerum {acc} basiat.
The boy {nom} gives the book {acc}.
Puer {nom} librum {acc} dat.
The child {nom} watches the TV {acc}.
Infans {nom} televisorium {acc} videt.
Whom {acc} it {nom} concerns.
???
To the kitchen {acc} I {nom} run.
Ad culinam {acc} [ego {nom}] curro.
I {nom} eat the pizza {acc}.
Pittam {acc} [ego {nom}] edo.
Find the Nominative and Accusative (if present) in each the sentence.
The boy is good.
The girl kisses the boy.
The boy gives the book.
The child watches the TV.
Whom it concerns.
To the kitchen I run
I eat the pizza.
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • Find the Nominative and Accusative (if present) in each the sentence.▼
The boy {nom} is good {nom}.
Puer {nom} est bonus {nom}.
The girl {nom} kisses the boy {acc}.
Puella {nom} puerum {acc} basiat.
The boy {nom} gives the book {acc}.
Puer {nom} librum {acc} dat.
The child {nom} watches the TV {acc}.
Infans {nom} televisorium {acc} videt.
Whom {acc} it {nom} concerns.
???
To the kitchen {acc} I {nom} run.
Ad culinam {acc} [ego {nom}] curro.
I {nom} eat the pizza {acc}.
Pittam {acc} [ego {nom}] edo.
In the following sentences, identify the accusative and nominative. Then translate.
Puer est bonus.
Puella puerum amat..
Puer cistam portat.
Fīlius virum spectat.
Ad culīnam currit.
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • In the following sentences, identify the accusative and nominative. Then translate.▲
Puer {nom} est bonus {nom}.
The boy {nom} is good {nom}.
Puella {nom} puerum {acc} amat.
The girl {nom} loves the boy {acc}.
Puer {nom} cistam {acc} portat.
The boy {nom} carries the box {acc}.
Fīlius {nom} virum {acc} spectat.
The son {nom} watched the husband {acc}.
Ad culīnam {acc} currit.
To the kitchen {acc} [he {nom}] runs.
In the following sentences, identify the accusative and nominative. Then translate.
Puer est bonus.
Puella puerum amat..
Puer cistam portat.
Fīlius virum spectat.
Ad culīnam currit.
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 5-Accusative • In the following sentences, identify the accusative and nominative. Then translate.▼
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
Comparatives, Superlatives, Conjunctions, Prepositions and Adverbs
Comparatives and superlatives of adjectives are formed by appending the suffix -ior (genitive is -ioris) for comparatives and -issimus for superlatives. All comparatives are declined like third declension nouns while superlatives are declined like second declension nouns, and thus must match the gender of the noun the superlative modifies. Often stem changes occur when appending theses suffixes.
Irregular Adjectives
Fortunately, there are only a few irregular adjectives.
Irregular Adjective: bonus
bonus
melior
optimus
good
better
best
Irregular Adjective: malus
malus
peior
pessimus
bad
worse
worst
.
Adverbs
Adverbs are formed usually by replacing the suffix appended to the stem with the -e, or -i and sometimes -um. Adverbs modify the verb in the clause which the adverb is contained in. The adverb may be placed anywhere with the clause. Adverbs may be of positive, comparative and superlative form. Unlike adjectives and substantives, adverbs do not have declension or gender. And thus they are referred to as being 'indeclinable.' Following suffices are appended to form the comparative and superlative forms of adverbs: -ius for comparatives and -issime for superlative.
Example
Adverbs
forte
fortius
fortissime
bravely
more bravely
most bravely
Irregular Adverbs
Many of the irregular adjectives are irregular in their adjectival forms as well.
Irregular Adverb: bene
bene
melior
optime
well
better
best
Irregular Adverb: male
male
peius
pessime
badly
more badly
most badly
There are many other adverbs which do not have comparative or superlative forms.
Review:
What is the comparitive adverbial form of sol-us, sol-a, sol-um (alone)?
What is the positive adverbial form of laetus? (happy)
What is the positive adjectival form of iratior? (angrier)
What is the postive adverbial form of certus? (certain)
What is the superlative adjectival form of certus?
What is the superlative adverbial form of certe?
What is the superlative adjectival form of male?
What is the superlative adverbial form of malus?
What is the comparative adjectival form of desertus? (deserted)
Solius
Laete
Iratus
Certe
Certissimus,-a,-um
Certissime
Pessimus,-a,-um
Pessime
Desertior,-ius
What is the comparitive adverbial form of sol-us, sol-a, sol-um (alone)?
What is the positive adverbial form of laetus? (happy)
What is the positive adjectival form of iratior? (angrier)
What is the postive adverbial form of certus? (certain)
What is the superlative adjectival form of certus?
What is the superlative adverbial form of certe?
What is the superlative adjectival form of male?
What is the superlative adverbial form of malus?
What is the comparative adjectival form of desertus? (deserted)
SOLUTION • Latin/Lesson 4-Adverbs and Prepositions • Answer▼
Solius
Laete
Iratus
Certe
Certissimus,-a,-um
Certissime
Pessimus,-a,-um
Pessime
Desertior,-ius
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are indeclinable particles that join clauses together to form sentences. Examples of forms of conjunctions in English are: and, but and so. Conjunctions are either coordernating (joining two main clauses) or subordinating (joing a subclause to a main clause).
List of Common Conjunctions
Coordinating Conjunctions
atque
and
aut
or
aut...aut^^
either...or
enim (usually placed second in sentence)
for
ergo
and so, therefore
et
and
et...et^
both...and
igitur
therefore
itaque
and so
nam
for
nec/necque
and not, nor
nec/necque...nec/necque^
neither...nor
-que*
and
sed
but
tamen (usually placed second in a sentence
however
Subordinating Conjunctions
cum
when
dum
while, for the time
nisi
unless, except
quamquam
however
quod
because
si
if
ubi
where, when
ut
as/with result clauses: in order to, so, to
Exercise 2
Based upon your reading of that table, how would one translate these sentences?
Aut tu es bonus aut tu es malus ergo dic mihi veritatem.
Cavete canem quod nec estis fortes nec cum virtute.
Et canis et catus sunt laeti creati.
In animo habeo ire ad grammaticum hodie sed habeo laborem domi.
Ut abacum heri quod calculator non laborabat.
Prepositions
You have met a few prepositions already. Prepositions are indeclinable and genderless. Prepositions are placed before substantives and adjectives. Most prepositions take only the accusative or ablative case. Some prepositions may take both, however their meanings differ depending on the case.
Below is a list of common prepositions that take the accusative case:
ad, ante, circum, contra, extra, in, inter, per, post, prope, propter, super trans.
Below is a list of common prepositions that take the ablative case:
a/ab, cum, de, e/ex, in pro, sine, sub
Exercise 3
Using your dictionary, translate the prepositions above, and write them out with the case they take.
Translate the following sentences:
eo domum (Latin omits 'ad' with 'domus,' specific city names, and small islands; e.g. Eunt Romam = They go [to] Rome.)
cum bona fortuna ero dives!
circum agrum est aedificium cum atrio
tu non es vir sine animis.
familia venit cum amore.
matrimonium gemet filios.
Res audiebuntur cum dicantur in lingua Latina.
List of Frequent Adverbs, Prepositions, and Conjunctions in Latin
If the learner is very young he may be led step by step to parse in the following manner
IN CHAPTER: 1 He may name the parts of speech according to his grammar
2 He may also decline some of the more easy nouns and verbs
3 and 4 And here some that are less easy naming their declensions and conjugations
5 He may resolve nominative cases and their verbs by the first concord and what other rules he may have learnt in his grammar applicable to the nom case particularly its gender
6 He may go on to parse accusative cases governed by verbs genitive cases the latter of two nouns infinitives adjectives of whatever sort agreeing with nouns in the nom accus or gen cases always declining such verbs as what participles he parses are derived from and applying his grammar rules as far as he has learnt them
7 He may account for other oblique cases governed of verbs and likewise of prepositions and under Rule 6 here he may begin to parse the ablative absolute
8 In the eighth chapter he may parse verbs that have no nom case expressed and adjectives that have nouns expressed supplying the ellipsis and here under Rule 8 he may begin to parse relatives as connected with their antecedents if he can be made to comprehend that
9 Now he may resolve the governments of adjectives parse nouns of time and place and observe under Rule 1 1 how nom cases as well as others follow after certain verbs
10 and 11 In parsing the word governed he may observe how such word though construed after the word governing it is commonly and elegantly set before in the Latin and he should be careful to write so himself in his Latin
12 13 and 14 He may be reasonably expected to resolve any word that occurs in these chapters particularly in such peculiarities of the Latin idiom as are here exemplified and these too he should study to imitate in his writings NB Of what words or sentences the learner is about to parse in Latin he may in each chapter parse first the concise English translation This will greatly assist him in both languages by leading him to observe their relative differences and accordances In this he must compare adjectives and adverbs in the three degrees note the signs of cases persons voices moods tenses their agreements governments and decline nouns pronouns and verbs in this or some such ner viz The Latin Primer In Three Parts : Part I. Rules of Construction ... : Part II. Rules of Position ... : Part III. A Large and Plain Description of the Latin Verse ... Von Richard Lyne
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
Verbs are parts of speech which denote action. There are two main forms of verbs in Latin:
• Principle Verbs (the main verb which is found in every sentence)
• Adjectival Verbs (also known as participles, gerunds and gerundives which describe the state of the described noun).
Every sentence must have a verb. In a sense, the principle verb is the sentence and all the nouns, adverbs and participles are only describing the scenario of the verb. Thus in Latin this constitutes a sentence:
est.
If you want to explain 'who' is or exists, you add a nominative substantive:
Cornēlia est.
We now know Cornelia 'is'. But what is she? So we add an adjective.
Cornēlia est bona.
Now we can see that Cornelia is good, but to elaborate further we can add an adverb:
Cornēlia vix est bona.
Now we know that Cornelia is 'hardly' (vix: hardly, scarcely, barely) good.
Thus, in English, the shortest Latin sentence is:
I am.
in Latin:
sum
Examples
These two examples will demonstrate the difference between an adjectival verb and a principle verb.
The resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples.
'resurrected' is a perfect participle (Adjectival) describing Jesus, while 'appeared' is the principle verb in the sentence.
The shocked disciples see Jesus.
'shocked' is a perfect participle (Adjectival) describing the disciples, while 'see' is the principle verb in the sentence.
Review:
What is the difference between a principle and adjectival verb?
What constitutes a sentence?
Write a sentence in English, and Latin.
Conjugate the verb 'to be' in the past and present tense in English and Latin (I am, You are, He is etc.)
Principal verbs are main verb which is found in every sentence. Adjectival Verbs are participles, gerunds and gerundives which describe the state of the described noun.
a verb
Eg.- Sum, I am
Sum, es, est, sumus, estis, sunt
Personal Endings
Verbs in Latin are inflected to reflect the person who performs the action. English does the same to some extent in the verb to be:
Latin
English
sum
I am
es
You are
est
(He/she/it) is
sumus
We are
estis
You (all) are
sunt
They are
Latin, however, inflects all verbs, and is much more extensive than English, allowing writers and speakers of Latin to often drop the personal pronoun (as mentioned last lesson), as the performer of the action is understood by the formation of the verb. The Personal pronoun is only usually added for emphasis. In a way, the ending on Latin verbs are a type of pronoun.
Review:
Personal pronouns (ego, tu, nos, vos, etc.) add emphasis. They are usually omitted (left out) because they are understood.
Tense in Latin is comprised of two parts: TIME and ASPECT. Time reflects when the action is occuring or did occur: past, present, or future. Aspect refers to the nature of the action: simple, completed, or repeated. The "completed" aspect is generally termed "perfective" and repeated aspect "imperfective."
Theoretically, a verb could have nine tenses (combinations of time and aspect). However, Latin only has six, since some possible combinations are expressed by the same verb forms. Latin tenses do not correspond exactly to English ones.
Below is a rough guide to tense in Latin.
Time
A S P E C T
Present
Future
Past
Simple
Present Tense "I walk"
Future Tense "I will walk"
Perfect Tense "I walked"
Imperfective
Present Tense "I am walking"
Future Tense "I will be walking"
Imperfect Tense "I was walking"
Perfective
Perfect Tense "I have walked"
Future Perfect Tense "I will have walked"
Pluperfect Tense "I had walked"
As is evident, some Latin tenses do "double duty." The Latin Present and Future Tenses can either express simple or progressive aspect. Particularly difficult to grasp is the Latin Perfect tense, which can either express an action completed from the point of view of the present ("I have just now finished walking"), or a simple action in past time (its "aorist" sense, from the old Indo European aorist tense, which Latin lost but is still present in Greek).
Revision: Fill this table of noun declensions.
Singular
Nominative
puella
servus
rēx
cornū
rēs
Vocative
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
Plural
Nominative
puellae
servī
rēgēs
cornua
rēs
Vocative
Accusative
Genitive
Dative
Ablative
Copy out the table of pronoun declensions from Lesson 6.
Memorise all these tables.
Infinitive
The infinitive (impersonal) is the form of the verb which simply means 'to (verb)' e.g. 'to do', or 'to be', or 'to love', or 'to hate' etc. All forms which are not in the infinitive are in the finite (personalised) form.
The infinitive has a -re at the end of the stem of the verb. The infinitive of 'to be' is an exception and is 'esse'.
Dēbeō currere nunc = I ought to run now.
esse, aut nōn esse = To be, or not to be?
Review:
The infinitive is the verb-form that simply mean "to (verb)".
To sing, to dance, to drink, to love.
Every verb which is not in the infinitive, is in the finite.
The infinitive is the verb-form that simply mean "to (verb)".
To sing, to dance, to drink, to love.
Every verb which is not in the infinitive, is in the finite.
He smells, we plot, she had drunken, he pours.
Irregularities
Verbs which use the passive formation in an active sense are known as deponent. Verbs which don't have a form for every tense and mood are known as defective. You will meet a few words like this soon.
What is a deponent verb?
What is an irregular verb?
What is a defective verb?
Personal Pronouns
In case you do ever use a personal pronoun to emphasise the SUBJECT of the verb, one must remember that the personal pronoun must be in the nominative case and the number and person of the verb must match that of the subject. (Revise Lesson 7 if unfamiliar with the terms person and subject).
What case should the subject (performer) of the verb be in?
When one looks up a verb in the dictionary, the principle parts are given. From these principle parts you can find the correct form of the verb for every circumstance.
Present Imperfect 1st Person
Imperfect Infinitive
Present Perfect 1st Person
Supine
amō
amāre
amāvi
amātum
Determines whether the vowel is dropped in the 1st person singular present imperfect.
Gives the imperfect stem and infinitive
Gives the perfect stem
Allows you to form adjectival forms of the verb (Participles)
Review:
The principle parts are the verb-forms you find when you look in the dictionary. E.g. if you look for the verb amō (love) in a dictionary you would find:
amō • amāre • amāvi • amātum
These four forms will help you form every latin verb you want.
The principle parts are the verb-forms you find when you look in the dictionary. E.g. if you look for the verb amō (love) in a dictionary you would find:
amō • amāre • amāvi • amātum
These four forms will help you form every latin verb you want.
Using the Dictionary
All nouns are given in the nominative, as well as the declension and gender of the noun. Verbs are alphabetized using the 1st person singular (the first principle part) and the infinitive is given. Supplementary principle parts are given if the various other principle parts do not follow the standard pattern of formation from the infinitive and 1st person singular.
Verbs: Conjugation in the Present Imperfect
The present imperfect is the simplest tense. To form the present imperfect all that is required is to place the personal endings at the end of the verb stem.
Thus, if you have the stem 'ama' (love), to make it 'I love' you place an ō at the end.
I love = amō (amaō*) we love = amāmus
Latin drops the 'a' in amaō forming amō.
Latin could add personal pronouns, however only for added emphasis and in conjunction with the corresponding person ending on the verb. Otherwise the sentence will not make sense. For example:
ego amō = I (not you) love
nōs amāmus = We (not you) love
but that would be for special emphasis: It's I, not you, who love.
Here are the forms of the verb 'porta', carry, in the present imperfect tense:
portō I carry first person singular portās thou carriest, you carry second person singular portat he, she, it carries third person singular portāmus we carry first person plural portātis you (all) carry second person plural portant they carry third person plural
'porto' can also be translated 'I am carrying' (present imperfect), 'I do carry' (present emphatic). 'I carry' is known as the 'present simple' tense in English.. Again the 'a' gets dropped when the 'ō' is placed on porta. Porta, and ama are known as 1st conjugation verbs; in other words, verbs which have a stem ending in 'a'.
There are three other conjugations, and below are some examples of verbs from each of the four conjugations (present imperfect tense):
porta, carry (1st. Conj)
mone, warn (2nd Conj)
rege, rule (3rd Conj.)
audī, hear (4th Conj)
portō, I carry
moneō, I warn
regō, I rule
audiō, I hear
portās, thou carriest
monēs, thou warnest
regis, thou rulest
audis, thou hearest
portat, he/she/it carries
monet, he/she/it warns
regit, he/she/it rules
audit, he/she/it hears
portāmus, we carry
monēmus, we warn
regimus, we rule
audimus, we hear
portātis, ye carry
monētis, ye warn
regitis, ye rule
auditis, ye hear
portant, they carry
monent, they warn
regunt, they rule
audiunt, they hear
Each verb uses the same final letter or letters to indicate the 'subject' - I, thou, he/she/it, we, you, they.
Before these final letters, the first conjugation has an 'a' (although when an 'o' is placed, the 'a' is often dropped), the second an 'e', and the third and fourth usually an 'i'. The third person plural forms in the third and fourth conjugations have a 'u'. These verb forms really should be learned by heart.
The commonest verb of all is irregular (see next lesson). Here is a table of the verb in English, Latin and two Romantic languages.
esto: be
Latin
English
French
Spanish
Icelandic
sum
I am
je suis
yo soy
ég er
es
thou art
tu es
tú eres
þú ert
est
he/she/it is
il/elle est
él/ella es
hann/hún/það er
sumus
we are
nous sommes
nosotros/-as somos
við erum
estis
ye are
vous êtes
vosotros/-as sois
þið eruð
sunt
they are
ils/elles sont
ellos/-as son
þeir/þær/þau eru
The personal endings are the same as in the four regular conjugations.
What form of the verb 'amo' (hint: amo is conjugated like porto in the table above) would the following words use to become the suffix:
ego (I)
tū (thou)
puer (the boy)
nōs (we)
vōs (ye)
puellae (the girls)
What form of the verb 'amo' (hint: amo is conjugated like porto in the table above) would the following words use to become the suffix:
The imperative mood is an order (eg. Go!, Run!, Away Now!). The imperative mood is formed by simply using the stem of the verb. If the order is to a large group of people, or you are trying to show respect, you must use the -te suffix.