Learning Latin from English
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Welcome to the Latin course!
There are no articles in Latin! The sentence "Ego vir sum." could mean "I am a man." but also "I am the man." However, don't forget to use the correct articles when translating into English!
Personal subject pronouns are used for emphasis and can be left out.
Example: Ego vir sum. = Vir sum
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| ego | I |
| tu | you (sg) |
| is, ea* | he, she |
| nos | we |
| vos | you (pl) |
| ii, eae* | they |
Latin is very flexible. The most common structure is SOV (subject - object - verb), especially in prose, but there are many other possibilities, depending on what you want to emphasize.
Latin has three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. In this first skill you will only encounter masculine and feminine nouns.
First declension nouns are (generally) feminine nouns ending in -a in the nominative case. Examples are femina and puella.
Second declension nouns are (generally) masculine nouns ending in -us and (generally) neuter nouns ending in -um in the nominative case. Examples are the names Stephanus and Marcus. Vir and puer are masculine nouns that follow the second declension as well.
In this skill you will learn the singular forms of the verb to be (esse, sum).
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| sum | I am |
| es | you are |
| est | he, she, it is |
This course uses Classical Pronunciation. A few things worth noting:
Latin uses grammatical cases: words change when they get a different function in a sentence.
The nominative case is the form of a noun you will find a dictionary. It is used for the subject of a sentences and for predicates following a form of "to be".
You can find a subject by asking the question "Who/What + verb?"
Example:
The predicate is the second part of a sentence following the "X is Y" pattern.
Example:
| Declension | Ending |
|---|---|
| 1st | -a |
| 2nd (masc.) | -us |
| 2nd (neut.) | -um |
A little convention: we will not accept translations of names as alternatives in this course. Marcus's name is Marcus, not Mark, and Stephanus is not Stephen or Steven.
| Latin | English | Additional Info (Declension, gender, etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| femina | woman | 1st, fem. |
| vir | man | 2nd, masc. |
| puer | boy | 2nd, masc. |
| puella | girl | 1st, fem. |
| pater | father | 3rd, masc. |
| mater | mother | 3rd, fem. |
| soror | sister | 3rd, fem. |
| frater | brother | 3rd, masc. |
| non | not | |
| et | and | |
| sed | but | |
| quis | who? | |
| dormit | he, she sleeps | |
| studet | he, she studies | |
| scribit | he, she writes | |
| in urbe | in the city | |
| domi | at home |
In Latin, we use salve to greet someone. When you want to say hello to more than one person, you use salvete.
Ave and avete are more formal greetings.
Let's have a look at the following sentence.
Salvete, Stephane et Marce!
Stephanus and Marcus are being addressed in this case; you are saying "salvete" to Stephanus and Marcus. Most* masculine words ending in -us (2nd declension) will get the ending -e in this situation. Names ending in -a don't change. (Salve, Livia!)
This is the vocative case, used for people being addressed.
When translating vocatives to English, we keep the nominative/normal form.
This is the most common way to say "my name is". For now, we will not go too deep into the grammar of this construction, but it is a useful phrase to know. Remember that Latin has no strict word order.
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Nomen mihi est Marcus. | My name is Marcus. |
| Tibi nomen est Livia. | Your name is Livia. |
| Nomen ei Lucius est. | His name is Lucius. |
| Nomen ei est Lesbia. | Her name is Lesbia. |
You will learn two ways to ask how someone is doing in this skill.
1) Quid + ago? -> Quid agis?
Literally, this means "What are you doing?"
| Subject | Verb |
|---|---|
| ego | ago |
| tu | agis |
| is, ea | agit |
2) Quomodo + se + habeo? -> Quomodo te habes?
Literally, this means "How do you have yourself/How do you feel?"
| Subject | Verb |
|---|---|
| ego | habeo |
| tu | habes |
| is, ea | habet |
Se is the reflexive pronoun. (-self in English)
| Subject Pronoun | Reflexive Pronoun | English |
|---|---|---|
| ego | me | myself |
| tu | te | yourself |
| is, ea | se | himself/herself |
Bene (well) and male (badly) are adverbs. Adverbs are words that give more information about verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. In English these forms usually get -ly added, while in Latin adverbs of 1st and 2nd declension adjectives end in -e.
You stick the suffix -ne to the first word of a sentence to indicate that it is a yes/no question. The -ne is not mandatory and can be omitted.
| Latin | English | Potential answers |
|---|---|---|
| Estne Roma in Italia? | Is Rome in Italy? | (Yes, it is./No, it is not.) |
| Roma in Italia est? | Is Rome in Italy? | (Yes, it is./No, it is not.) |
Habitare/habito (to live somewhere, to reside) is a verb that follows the first conjugation. You can recognize these verbs by the -a- in the verb stem. (The -a- merges with the -o for the first person singular.)
| Subject | Habitare | Amare (to love) | Stare (to stand) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ego | habito | amo | sto | |
| tu | habitas | amas | stas | |
| is, ea | habitat | ama t | stat |
| Latin | English | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|
| nomen | name | 3rd, neut. |
| Italia | Italy | 1st, fem. |
| Roma | Rome | 1st, fem. |
| Romae | in Rome | |
| habito | I live, I reside | (habitare, 1st conj.) |
| me habeo | I feel, I am doing (well/poorly/...) | (se habere, 2nd conj.) |
| ago | I do, I act | (agere, 3rd conj.) |
| salve(te) | hello | |
| quid | what | |
| quomodo | how | |
| ubi | where | |
| bene | well | |
| male | badly, poorly | |
| ita | yes, so | |
| minime | no, not at all |
Just like nouns, adjectives follow declensions. The adjective solus (masc.), sola (fem.), solum (neut.) follow the first and second declension, and get the same endings as nouns: discipulus - femina - Eboracum.
Have a look at how the ending of the adjective changes:
| Latin | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| discipulus novus | a new student | masculine |
| familia nova | a new family | feminine |
| civitas nova | a new state | feminine |
| Novum Eboracum | New York | neuter |
| nomen novum | a new name | neuter |
When using sum, you also need to make sure the adjective agrees with the noun.
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Marcus est Romanus. | Marcus is Roman. |
| Livia Americana est. | Livia is American. |
| Nomen est novum. | The name is new. |
| Ego solus sum. | I am alone. (masculine) |
| Ego sola sum. | I am alone. (feminine) |
The locative case is a special case which indicates a location used for cities.
Some general rules:
| Nominative | Locative | English (loc.) |
|---|---|---|
| Roma | Romae | in Rome |
| Novum Eboracum | Novi Eboraci | in New York |
| Corinthus | Corinthi | in Corinth |
Other locations will generally get a preposition (in + ablative, we will deal with the ablative later in the course).
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| in Italia | in Italy |
| in urbe | in the city |
Domi (at home) is an exception!
The particle num indicates that the speaker expects a negative answer; the speaker would be surprised if someone answered yes.
Compare the following sentences.
| Latin | English | Expected Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Num Romae habitat? | Surely he doesn't live in Rome? | Negative |
| Habitatne Romae? | Does he live in Rome? | - (neutral) |
The suffix -(i)tas is the equivalent of the English -(i)ty. These nouns follow the third declension and are feminine.
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| universitas | university |
| libertas | liberty, freedom |
| difficultas | difficulty, trouble |
| Latin | English | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|
| familia | family | 1st, fem. |
| Bostonia | Boston | 1st, fem. |
| Philadelphia | Philadelphia | 1st, fem. |
| Novum Eboracum | New York | 2nd, neut. |
| iuvenis | young man | 3rd, masc. |
| urbs | city | 3rd, fem. |
| civitas | state | 3rd, fem. |
| universitas | university | 3rd, fem. |
| solus | alone | -us, -a, -um |
| novus | new | -us, -a, -um |
| natus | born | -us, -a, -um |
| meus | my | -us, -a, -um |
| Americanus | American | -us, -a, -um |
| multi | many | -i, -ae, -a (plural) |
| quid | what, which | 3rd, neut. |
| quot | how many |
Nominative plurals:
| Declension | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | filia | filiae |
| 2nd (masc.) | filius | filii |
| 2nd (neut.) | donum | dona |
| 3rd | soror | sorores |
| 3rd | frater | fratres |
Note that the stem of 3rd declension nouns can change.
| Subject | Esse (to be) | Habitare |
|---|---|---|
| ego | sum | habito |
| tu | es | habita-s |
| is, ea | est | habita-t |
| nos | sumus | habita-mus |
| vos | estis | habita-tis |
| ii, eae | sunt | habita-nt |
Studere/studeo (to study) is a verb that follows the second conjugation. You can recognize these verbs by the -e- at the end of the verb stem.
| Subject | Studere | Habere (to have) |
|---|---|---|
| ego | stude-o | habe-o |
| tu | stude-s | habe-s |
| is, ea | stude-t | habe-t |
| nos | stude-mus | habe-mus |
| vos | stude-tis | habe-tis |
| ii, eae | stude-nt | habe-nt |
Dormire/dormio (to sleep) is a verb that follows the fourth conjugation. You can recognize these verbs by the -i- at the end of the verb stem.
| Subject | Dormire |
|---|---|
| ego | dormi-o |
| tu | dormi-s |
| is, ea | dormi-t |
| nos | dormi-mus |
| vos | dormi-tis |
| ii, eae | dormi-u-nt |
| Latin | English | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|
| duo | two | duo, duae, duo (plural) |
| tres | three | tres, tres, tria (plural) |
| quattuor | four | indeclinable |
| quinque | five | indeclinable |
| quot | how many | indeclinable |
On to the next case! The accusative is the grammatical case used for direct objects.
You can find the direct object of a sentence by asking the question "Who/What + does X + verb?", in which X is the subject.
Example:
| Declension | Nom. sg. | Acc. sg. |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | magistra | magistram |
| 2nd masc. | discipulus | discipulum |
| 2nd neut. | Novum Eboracum | Novum Eboracum (=) |
| 3rd | mater | matrem |
The plural forms are:
| Declension | Nom. pl. | Acc. pl. |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | magistrae | magistras |
| 2nd masc. | discipuli | discipulos |
| 2nd neut. | dona* | dona (=) |
| 3rd | matres | matres (=) |
(*donum = gift, present)
Not all masculine nouns that follow the second declension end in -us in the nominative, some end in -r or -er.
| Nom. sg. | Acc. sg. | Nom. pl. | Acc. pl. |
|---|---|---|---|
| magister | magistr-um | magistr-i | magistr-os |
| liber | libr-um | libr-i | libr-os |
| puer | puerum | pueri | pueros |
| vir | virum | viri | viros |
Legere/lego (to read) and discere/disco (to learn) are verbs that follow the third conjugation. You can recognize these verbs by the lack of a vowel at the end of the verb stem. (-i- is used to connect the stem to the endings, -u- for -nt)
| Subject | Legere | Discere | Agere |
|---|---|---|---|
| ego | lego | disco | ago |
| tu | leg-i-s | disc-i-s | ag-i-s |
| is, ea | leg-i-t | disc-i-t | ag-i-t |
| nos | leg-i-mus | disc-i-mus | ag-i-mus |
| vos | leg-i-tis | disc-i-tis | ag-i-tis |
| ii, eae | leg-u-nt | disc-u-nt | ag-u-nt |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| discipula | female student | 1st, fem. | discipul- |
| magistra | female teacher | 1st, fem. | magistr- |
| lingua | language | 1st, fem. | lingu- |
| lingua Latina | Latin (language) | 1st, fem. | |
| litterae | literature | 1st, fem. (always plural) | litter- |
| discipulus | male student | 2nd, masc. | discipul- |
| magister | male teacher | 2nd -er, masc. | magistr- |
| liber | book | 2nd -er, masc. | libr- |
| ludus | school | 2nd, masc. | lud- |
| lectio | chapter | 3rd, fem. | lection- |
| Latinus | Latin (adj.) | -us, -a, -um | Latin- |
| studeo | I study | (studere, 2nd conj.) | stude- |
| doceo | I teach | (docere, 2nd conj.) | doce- |
| disco | I learn | (discere, 3rd conj.) | disc- |
| lego | I read | (legere, 3rd. conj.) | leg- |
| scribo | I write | (scribere, 3rd. conj.) | scrib- |
It is time to properly introduce the third declension! You already know quite a few words that follow the third declension. Masculine and feminine nouns follow the same pattern, while neuter nouns are declined differently.
| - | PATER | SOROR | NOMEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| nom. sg. | pater | soror | nomen |
| acc. sg. | patrem | sororem | nomen (=) |
| nom. pl. | patres | sorores | nomina |
| acc. pl. | patres | sorores | nomina (=) |
A rule of thumb: accusative neuter words are always the same as their nominative equivalent.
Many adjectives of the third declension end in -is. These adjectives will get (-is, -is, -e) as additional information in the vocabulary lists.
SINGULAR
| SENILIS | Masculine sg. | Feminine sg. | Neuter sg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | senilis | senilis | senile |
| accusative | senilem | senilem | senile |
PLURAL
| SENILIS | Masculine pl. | Feminine pl. | Neuter pl. |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | seniles | seniles | senilia |
| accusative | seniles | seniles | senilia |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| maritus | husband | 2nd, masc. | marit- |
| sepulchrum | grave | 2nd, neut. | sepulchr- |
| paterfamilias | paterfamilias* | 3rd, masc. | patr- familias |
| uxor | wife | 3rd, fem. | uxor- |
| familiaris | relative | 3rd, masc. | familiar- |
| servo | I save, rescue | (servare, 1st conj.) | serva- |
| sacrifico | I sacrifice | (sacrificare, 1st conj.) | sacrifica- |
| severus | strict | -us, -a, -um | sever- |
| benignus | kind | -us, -a, -um | benign- |
| pius | dutiful | -us, -a, -um | pi- |
| senilis | aged, senile | -is, -is, -e | senil- |
| quoque | also | ||
| cotidie | daily |
In English we use the phrase would like when requesting something politely (in a shop, restaurant etc.). In Latin, however, we need a special verb form to express this. You would use velim in such situation.
| Subject | Verb |
|---|---|
| ego | velim |
| tu | velis |
| is, ea | velit |
| nos | velimus |
| vos | velitis |
| ii, eae | velint |
(Velim is the subjunctive of velle, volo, to want. For now, you don't need to remember this information.)
We have encountered mihi, tibi and ei earlier in the course. (Nomen mihi est...) These words respectively mean to me, to you (sg), and to him/her.
This is the indirect object, which is in the dative case. You can find the indirect object by asking the question "To/For whom?".
Example:
Da mihi panem! - Give me the bread!
The verb in this sentence, da, is an imperative. This verb mood is used for commands (when you want to tell someone they must do something). Command sentences do not have a subject.
| Imperative | Dictionary form | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| Da! (Give!) | dare, do | 1st |
| Stude! (Study!) | studere, studeo | 2nd |
| Lege! (Read!) | legere, lego | 3rd |
| Dormi! (Sleep!) | dormire, dormio | 4th |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| oliva | olive | 1st, fem. | oliv- |
| vinum | wine | 2nd, neut. | vin- |
| crustulum | cookie | 2nd, neut. | crustul- |
| forum | forum/market | 2nd, neut. | for- |
| nummus | coin | 2nd, masc. | numm- |
| panis | bread | 3rd, masc. | pan- |
| ruber | red | ruber, rubra, rubrum | rubr- |
| familiaris | relative | 3rd, masc. | familiar- |
| do | I give | (dare, 1st conj.) | da- |
| constat | it costs | (constare, 1st conj.) | consta- |
| decem | ten | indeclinable | |
| viginti | twenty | indeclinable | |
| triginta | thirty | indeclinable | |
| quanti | how many | -i, -ae, -a (plural) | quant- |
| ... nummis constat | it costs ... coins | ||
| in foro | in the forum/market |
Time to review!
| Subject | 1: HABITARE | 2: STUDERE | 3: LEGERE | 4: DORMIRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ego | habito | stude-o | leg-o | dormi-o |
| tu | habita-s | stude-s | leg-i-s | dormi-s |
| is, ea | habita-t | stude-t | leg-i-t | dormi-t |
| nos | habita-mus | stude-mus | leg-i-mus | dormi-mus |
| vos | habita-tis | stude-tis | leg-i-tis | dormi-tis |
| ii, eae | habita-nt | stude-nt | leg-u-nt | dormi-u-nt |
Facere/facio (to make, to do) is a verb that follows the third conjugation BUT has a verb stem ending in -i. The two main differences are facio (and not "faco"), and faciunt (and not "facunt").
| Subject | FACERE |
|---|---|
| ego | faci-o |
| tu | faci-s |
| is, ea | faci-t |
| nos | faci-mus |
| vos | faci-tis |
| ii, eae | faci-u-nt |
Let's have a quick look at a new case: the ablative! The ablative has several uses, but for now, we will only use it after prepositions (see below).
We will only use singular 1st declension and 3rd declension words for now.
| Nominative sg. | Ablative sg. | Declension |
|---|---|---|
| Italia | Itali-a | 1st |
| urbs | urb-e | 3rd |
When using macrons, you can recognise the nom. fem. sg. ending by the -ā at the end. (In contrast with the -a for the nominative.)
The words following prepositions (in English words like in, on, for, through) require certain grammatical cases in Latin.
| Preposition | + Case | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ad | + accusative | to |
| in | + accusative | into |
| in | + ablative | in |
| ab/a | + ablative | from |
| cum | + ablative | with |
Pay attention to the difference between "in + accusative" and "in + ablative".
in urbe (in the city) - in urbem (into the city)
This preposition has two forms: ab and a. Ab is used before words starting with a vowel or an H, while a is used before words starting with any other consonant.
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| ab urbe | from the city |
| ab Italia | from Italy |
| ab Hispanica | from Spain |
| a Germania | from Germany |
| a Graecia | from Greece |
| a Philadelphia | from Philadelphia |
Ire/eo (to go) is an irregular verb.
| Subject | IRE |
|---|---|
| ego | eo |
| tu | is |
| is, ea | it |
| nos | imus |
| vos | itis |
| ii, eae | eunt |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| iter | journey, trip | 3rd, neut. | itiner- |
| longus | long | -us, -a, -um | long- |
| visito | I visit | (visitare, 1st conj.) | visita- |
| condo | I establish, I build | (condere, 3rd conj.) | cond- |
| facio | I make, I do | (facere, 3rd conj. -io) | faci- |
| venio | I come | (venire, 4th conj.) | veni- |
| eo | I go | (ire, irregular) | i-, e- |
| nunc | now | ||
| unde | from where | ||
| quo | to where | ||
| domum | (to) home | ||
| ad | to | + acc. | |
| in | into | + acc. | |
| in | in | + abl. | |
| ab | from | + abl. | |
| a | from | + abl. | |
| cum | with | + abl. |
| Decl. | 1st fem. | 2nd masc. | 2nd neut. | 3rd masc. & fem. | 3rd neuter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. sg. | magistra | discipulus | vinum | mater | nomen |
| Acc. sg. | magistram | discipulum | vinum (=) | matrem | nomen (=) |
| Nom. pl. | magistrae | discipuli | vina | matres | nomina |
| Acc. pl. | magistras | discipulos | vina (=) | matres | nomina (=) |
! Nominative singular third declension nouns do not have a particular ending.
This skill mainly focuses on nos and vos (we and you). Vos is the plural you; you use "vos" to talk about more than one person.
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Marce, tu es vir! | Marcus, you are a man! |
| Marce et Stephane, vos estis viri! | Marcus and Stephanus, you are men! |
| 1: HABITARE | 2: STUDERE | 3: LEGERE | 4: VENIRE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nos | habita-mus | stude-mus | leg-i-mus | veni-mus |
| vos | habita-tis | stude-tis | leg-i-tis | veni-tis |
The "nos" and "vos" forms for third conjugation verbs like facere, facio (verb stem ending in -i) look the same as other third conjugation verbs. (faci-mus, faci-tis)
| Subject | Verb | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| ego | sum | I am |
| tu | es | you are (sg.) |
| is, ea | est | he, she is |
| nos | sumus | we are |
| vos | estis | you are (pl.) |
| ii, eae | sunt | they are |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| amo | I love | (amare, 1st conj.) | ama- |
| noster | our | noster, nostra, nostrum | nostr- |
Most first declension nouns are feminine, but there are several masculine words! These few words generally refer to male people.
| AGRICOLA | POETA | |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. sg. | agricola | poeta |
| Acc. sg. | agricolam | poetam |
| Nom. pl. | agricolae | poetae |
| Acc. pl. | agricolas | poetas |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| pecunia | money | 1st, fem. | pecuni- |
| medica | (female) doctor | 1st, fem. | medic- |
| medicus | (male) doctor | 2nd, masc. | medic- |
| professor | professor | 3rd, masc. | professor- |
| ratiocinator | bookkeeper, accountant | 3rd, masc. | ratiocinator- |
| numero | I count | (numerare, 1st decl.) | numera- |
| sano | I heal | (sanare, 1st conj.) | sana- |
| aeger | sick | aeger, aegra, aegrum | aegr- |
| sanus | healthy | -us, -a, -um | san- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| scaena | stage, scene | 1st, fem. | scaen- |
| agricola | farmer | 1st, masc. | agricol- |
| ager | field | 2nd, masc. (-er) | agr- |
| architectus | architect | 2nd, masc. | architect- |
| aedificium | building | 2nd, neut. | aedifici- |
| theatrum | theater | 2nd, neut. | theatr- |
| histrio | actor | 3rd, masc. | histrion- |
| construo | I construct, I build | (construere, 3st conj.) | constru- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| epistula | letter (written text) | 1st, fem. | epistul- |
| pictura | picture | 1st, fem. | pictur- |
| tabellarius | courier | 2nd, masc. | tabellari- |
| pictor | painter | 3rd, masc. | pictor- |
| pistor | baker | 3rd, masc. | pistor- |
| porto | I carry | (portare, 1st conj.) | porta- |
| pingo | I paint | (pingere, 3rd conj.) | ping- |
| coquo | I cook | (coquere, 3rd conj.) | coqu- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| poeta | poet | 1st, masc. | poet- |
| coquus | cook | 2nd, masc. | coqu- |
| cibus | food | 2nd, masc. | cib- |
| miles | soldier | 3rd, masc. | milit- |
| mercator | merchant | 3rd, masc. | mercator- |
| carmen | poem | 3rd, neut. | carmin- |
| pugno | I fight | (pugnare, 1st conj.) | pugna- |
| emo | I buy | (emere, 3rd conj.) | em- |
| vendo | I sell | (vendere, 3rd conj.) | vend |
You use the construction "dative + placet/placent" to say someone likes something in Latin. "Carmen mihi placet." literally means "The poem is pleasing to me.", or "I like the poem.".
| Dative Pronouns | English |
|---|---|
| mihi | to me |
| tibi | to you |
| ei | to him, to her |
Remember that placet needs to be conjugated depending on the subject.
| Latin | am pleasing to | like |
|---|---|---|
| Tibi placeo. | I am pleasing to you. | You like me. |
| Ei places. | You are pleasing to him. | He likes you. |
| Carmen mihi placet. | The poem is pleasing to me. | I like the poem. |
| Carmina mihi placent. | The poems are pleasing to me. | I like the poems. |
| Conjugation | Stem | Indicative* | Infinitive |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | ama- | amo | amare |
| 2nd | doce- | doceo | docere |
| 3rd | disc- | disco | discere |
| 3rd (-io) | faci- | facio | facere |
| 4th | dormi- | dormio | dormire |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| cena | dinner | 1st, fem. | cen- |
| lectus | bed | 2nd, masc. | lect- |
| prandium | lunch | 2nd, neut. | prandi- |
| placeo | I please | (placere, 2nd conj.) | place- |
| mihi placet | I like | + nom. |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| taberna | shop, tavern | 1st, fem. | tabern- |
| patronus | patron | 2nd, masc. | patron- |
| paedagogus | tutor-slave | 2nd, masc. | paedagog- |
| cliens | client | 3rd, masc. | client- |
| salutatio | salutation, ceremonial visit | 3rd, fem. | salutation- |
| dormio | I sleep | (dormire, 4th conj.) | dormi- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| templum | temple | 2nd, neut. | templ- |
| vates | bard, soothsayer | 3rd, masc. | vat- |
| pulcher | pretty | pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum | pulchr- |
| noster | our | noster, nostra, nostrum | nostr- |
| sacer | sacred | sacer, sacra, sacrum | sacr- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| ara | altar | 1st, fem. | ar- |
| gladiator | gladiator | 3rd, masc. | gladiator- |
| optimus | the best | -us, -a, -um | optim- |
| debeo | I must, have to | (debere, 2nd) | debe- |
| pugno | I fight | (pugnare, 1st) | pugna- |
| visito | I visit | (visitare, 1st) | visita- |
| hodie | today | ||
| interdum | sometimes |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| senex | old man | 3rd, masc. | sen- |
| vester | your (pl.) | vester, vestra, vestrum | vestr- |
| fessus | tired | -us, -a, -um | fess- |
| sollicitus | worried | -us, -a, -um | sollicit- |
| ebrius | drunk | -us, -a, -um | ebri- |
| laetus | happy | -us, -a, -um | laet- |
| miser | unhappy | miser, misera, miserum | miser- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| psittacus | parrot | 2nd, masc. | psittac- |
| iuvenis | young man | 3rd, masc. | iuven- |
| iratus | angry | -us, -a, -um | irat- |
| ignavus | lazy | -us, -a, -um | ignav- |
| otiosus | leisurely | -us, -a, -um | otios- |
| negotiosus | busy | -us, -a, -um | negotios- |
| pulso | I hit | (pulsare, 1st conj.) | pulsa- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| socius | ally | 2nd, masc. | soci- |
| comes | comrade | 3rd, masc. | comit- |
| contubernalis | tent-mate, comrade | 3rd, masc. | contubernal- |
| tacitus | quiet | -us, -a, -um | tacit- |
| placidus | calm | -us, -a, -um | placid- |
| perfidus | deceitful | -us, -a, -um | perfid- |
| peritus | skilled | -us, -a, -um | perit- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| sententia | opinion | 1st, fem. | sententi- |
| impius | undutiful | -us, -a, -um | impi- |
| scio | I know | (scire, 4th) | sci- |
| fortasse | perhaps | ||
| interdum | sometimes |
Garum was a sauce made from fermented fish intestines, and was widely used in the Classical Roman cuisine.
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| pavimentum | floor | 2nd, neut. | paviment- |
| piscis | fish | 3rd, masc. | pisc- |
| plurimus | very many | -us, -a, -um | plurim- |
| pinguis | fat | -is, -is, -e | pingu- |
| iacio | I throw | (iacere, 3rd conj. -io) | iaci- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| mensa | table | 1st, fem. | mens- |
| garum | garum, fish sauce | 2nd, neut. | gar- |
| triclinium | dining room | 2nd, neut. | triclini- |
| peconiosus | rich | -us, -a, -um | peconios- |
| salsus | salty | -us, -a, -um | sals- |
| gusto | I taste | (gustare, 1st conj.) | gusta- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| caupona | inn | 1st, fem. | caupon- |
| caro | meat | 3rd, fem. | carn- |
| os | bone | 3rd, neut. | oss- |
| nobis | to us | dative of nos | |
| vobis | to you (pl.) | dative of vos |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| patella | plate | 1st, fem. | patell- |
| ovum | egg | 2nd, neut. | ov- |
| poculum | cup | 2nd, neut. | pocul- |
| pavo | peacock | 3rd, masc. | pavon- |
| bibo | I drink | (bibere, 3rd conj.) | bib- |
Latin ordinals follow the -us, -a, -um declension.
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| primus | first |
| secundus | second |
| tertius | third |
| quartus | fourth |
| quintus | fifth |
| sextus | sixth |
| septimus | seventh |
| octavus | eighth |
| nonus | ninth |
| decimus | tenth |
For us, an hour is always sixty minutes. For Romans, an hour was defined as one twelfth of a day (the time between sunrise and sunset). This means that an hour in winter was much shorter than an hour in summer.
While our starting point is at midnight (00:01 AM) or noon (00:01 PM), Romans started counting their hours at sunrise to tell the time. The "prima hora" was the first hour after sunrise.
Nouns of the fifth declension are generally feminine (dies and meridies are exceptions to this rule), and their nominative singular form ends in -es.
| DIES (day) | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | dies | dies |
| Accusative | diem | dies |
| Ablative | die | diebus |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| hora | hour | 1st, fem. | hor- |
| primus | first | -us, -a, -um | prim- |
| secundus | second | -us, -a, -um | secund- |
| tertius | third | -us, -a, -um | terti- |
| excito | I wake (someone) | (excitare, 1st) | excita- |
| mane | early | adverb | |
| post | after | + acc. | |
| ante | before | + acc. |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| horologium | clock | 2nd, neut. | horologi- |
| meridies | noon | 5th, masc. | meridi- |
| quartus | fourth | -us, -a, -um | quart- |
| quintus | fifth | -us, -a, -um | quint- |
| sero | late | adverb | |
| vesperi | in the evening | adverb |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| interdiu | during the day | adverb | |
| noctu | at night | adverb | |
| tempori | on time | adverb | |
| advenio | I arrive | (advenire, 4th conj.) | adveni- |
| interficio | I kill | (interficere, 3rd conj. -io) | interfici- |
Deponent verbs are verbs that are passive in form, but active in meaning. Passive verb endings differ from their active counterparts. In this skill you will encounter the deponent verb loqui. Loqui follows the third conjugation.
| LOQUI | To Speak |
|---|---|
| loqu-or | I speak |
| loqu-e-ris | You speak |
| loqu-i-tur | He/She speaks |
| loqu-i-mur | We speak |
| loqu-i-mini | You (pl.) speak |
| loqu-u-ntur | They speak |
Passive verbs of the third conjugation follow the same pattern. (Note: most forms of "legi" aren't the most useful, but you can apply this pattern to other 3rd conj. verbs.)
| LEG-ERE | to read | LEG-I | to be read |
|---|---|---|---|
| leg-o | I read | leg-or | I am read |
| leg-i-s | you read | leg-e-ris | you are read |
| leg-i-t | he/she reads | leg-i-tur | it/he/she is read |
| leg-i-mus | we read | leg-i-mur | we are read |
| leg-i-tis | you (pl.) read | leg-i-mini | you (pl.) are read |
| leg-u-nt | they read | leg-u-ntur | they are read |
In English, you can recognize many adverbs by the ending -ly. What is the adverb in the following sentence?
"We speak quietly in the library."
This adverb is derived from the adjective quiet. Adjectives give us more information about a noun or a pronoun, while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. "Quietly" is the answer to the question "How do we speak?", and modifies the verb speak.
Adverbs derived from adjectives following the -us, -a, -um pattern get the ending -e.
| Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
| tacitus, -a, -um | tacite |
| novus, -a, -um | nove |
| longus, -a, -um | longe |
Exception: bonus (good) becomes bene (well)! You learned this word in the Greetings skill. (Livia se bene habet. = Livia feels well.)
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| colloquium | conversation | 2nd, neut. | colloqui- |
| orator | orator, speaker | 3rd, masc. | orator- |
| exclamo | I exclaim, shout | (exclamare, 1st conj.) | exclama- |
| loquor | I speak | (loqui, 3rd conj.) | loqu- |
| in colloquium venio | I have a conversation | (venire, 4th conj.) | veni- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| bibliotheca | library | 1st, fem. | bibliothec- |
| volumen | scroll, book | 3rd, neut. | volumin- |
| mitto | I send | (mittere, 3rd conj.) | mitt- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| turba | crowd | 1st, fem. | turb- |
| verbum | word | 2nd, neut. | verb- |
| volo | to want | (velle, irr.) | vol- |
| Anglice | in English | adverb | |
| Hispanice | in Spanish | adverb | |
| semper | always | adverb |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| inscriptio | inscription | 3rd, fem. | inscription- |
| proximus | nearest, next | -us, -a, -um | proxim- |
| laudo | I praise | (laudare, 1st conj.) | lauda- |
| invenio | I find | (invenire, 4th conj.) | inveni- |
| Germanice | in German | adverb | |
| tacite | quietly | adverb |
The Latin word for "this", hic, has its own irregular declension. For now, just remember the nominative singular forms:
| Masc. | Fem. | Neut. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | hic | haec | hoc |
In sentences with the verb soleo (solere, 2nd conj.), you will usually see an infinitive (verbs ending in -re, "to ..." in English). Soleo means "I am used to" or "I am accustomed to".
Example: In lecto dormire soleo., which literally means "I am accustomed to sleeping in a bed." or, more fluently, "I usually sleep in a bed."
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| sella | chair | 1st, fem. | sell- |
| villa | house, villa | 1st, fem. | vill- |
| lararium | household shrine | 2nd, neut. | larari- |
| tablinum | office, study | 2nd, neut. | tablin- |
| ambulo | I walk | (ambulare, 1st) | ambula- |
| sedeo | I sit | (sedere, 2nd) | sede- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| insula | apartment building; island | 1st, fem. | insul- |
| latrina | latrine, toilet | 1st, fem. | latrin- |
| via | street, road | 1st, fem. | vi- |
| cenaculum | dining room | 2nd, neut. | cenacul- |
| cubiculum | bedroom | 2nd, neut. | cubicul- |
| sordidus | dirty | -us, -a, -um | sordid- |
| aut | or |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| culina | kitchen | 1st, fem. | culin- |
| mustela | weasel | 1st, fem. | mustel- |
| canis | dog | 3rd, masc. | can- |
| mus | mouse | 3rd, masc. | mur- |
| capto | I try to grab | (captare, 1st) | capta- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| armarium | closet | 2nd, neut. | armari- |
| atrium | atrium, central room | 2nd, neut. | atri- |
| vestimentum | piece of clothing | 2nd, neut. | vestiment- |
| soleo | I am accostumed to | (solere, 2nd) + inf. | sole- |
| coquo | I cook | (coquere, 3rd) | coqu- |
The Roman Gods and Godesses form the center of Roman mythology. It is difficult to downsize the many beautiful stories and poems about these deities, so we wholeheartedly recommend you to look up these Gods and their stories if you haven't heard about them!
The Romans had many, many deities. The table below shows only a sample of the abundance of gods, but these are some of the best-known and most important ones.
| Roman god | Greek counterpart | God(dess) of ... |
|---|---|---|
| Iuppiter | Zeus | thunder and lightning, king of the gods |
| Neptunus | Poseidon | the sea |
| Bacchus | Dionysos | wine |
| Minerva | Athena | wisdom |
| Mars | Ares | war |
| Mercurius | Hermes | messengers, thieves, winged sandals |
| Pluto | Hades | the underworld |
| Iuno | Hera | marriage, wife of Iuppiter |
| Ceres | Demeter | harvests, fertility of the Earth |
| Venus | Aphrodite | love, beauty |
| Diana | Artemis | the hunt, wilderness, the moon |
| Apollo | Apollo | art, music, medicine |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| unda | wave | 1st, fem. | und- |
| Bacchus | Bacchus | 2nd, masc. | Bacch- |
| Neptunus | Neptunus | 2nd, masc. | Neptun- |
| bubo | owl | 3rd, masc. | bubon- |
| video | I see | (videre, 2nd) | vide- |
| rego | I reign | (regere, 3rd) | reg- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minerva | Minerva | 1st, fem. | Minerv- |
| dea | goddess | 1st, fem. | de- |
| deus | god | 2nd, masc. | de- |
| bellum | war | 2nd, neut. | bell- |
| scutum | shield | 2nd, neut. | scut- |
| hostis | enemy | 3rd, masc. | host- |
| Mars | Mars | 3rd, masc. | Mart- |
| sapiens | wise | -ns, -ns, -ns | sapient- |
| gero | I wear | (gerere, 3rd) | ger- |
| bellum gero | I wage war | (gerere, 3rd) | ger- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| hasta | spear | 1st, fem. | hast- |
| Mercurius | Mercurius | 2nd, masc. | Mercuri- |
| fulmen | thunderbolt | 3rd, masc. | fulmin- |
| Iuppiter | Jupiter | 3rd, masc. | Iov- |
| iter | journey, trip | 3rd, neut. | itiner- |
| contorquo | I hurl | (contorquere, 3rd) | contorqu- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| nemo | nobody | 3rd, masc./fem. | nemin- |
| appropinquo | I approach | (appropinquare, 1st) | appropinqua- |
| rogo | I ask | (rogare, 1st) | roga- |
| noli(te) | don't ... | + infinitive |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| gemma | gem | 1st, fem. | gemm- |
| anulus | ring | 2nd, masc. | anul- |
| fur | thief | 3rd, masc. | fur- |
| aureus | golden | -us, -a, -um | aure- |
| tuus | your | -us, -a, -um | tu- |
| concupisco | I am greedy for | (concupiscere, 3rd) | concupisc- |
| trado | I hand over | (tradere, 3rd) | trad- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| stola | dress | 1st, fem. | stol- |
| toga | toga | 1st, fem. | tog- |
| candidus | white | -us, -a, -um | candid- |
| novus | new | -us, -a, -um | nov- |
| celo | I hide | (celare, 1st) | cela- |
| sub | under | + ablative |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| calceus | shoe | 2nd, masc. | calce- |
| pretium | price | 2nd, neut. | preti- |
| emptor | buyer, customer | 3rd, masc. | emptor- |
| aestimo | I estimate | (aestimare, 1st) | aestima- |
| emo | I buy | (emere, 3rd) | em- |
| vendo | I sell | (vendere, 3rd) | vend- |
| vult | (he/she) wants | (velle, irregular) |
Posse (can) is an irregular verb. The present tense resembles the present forms of esse (to be), but with the prefix pot- (or pos- before an -s-).
| ESSE | POSSE | English (posse) |
|---|---|---|
| sum | possum | I can |
| es | potes | you can |
| est | potest | he/she can |
| sumus | possumus | we can |
| estis | potestis | you (pl.) can |
| sunt | possunt | they can |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| aqua | water | 1st, fem. | aqu- |
| balneum | bathhouse | 2nd, neut. | balne- |
| labrum | tub | 2nd, neut. | labr- |
| donum | gift | 2nd, neut. | don- |
| sacerdos | priest | 3rd, masc. | sacerdot- |
| callidus | clever | -us, -a, -um | callid- |
| lavo | I wash | (lavare, 1st) | lava- |
| impleo | I fill | (implere, 2nd) | imple- |
| possum | I can | (posse, irregular) | pot- |
While first and second declension adjectives get the ending -e to form an adverb, third declension adjectives get -iter
| Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
| suavis, -is, -e | suaviter |
| celeris, -is, -e | celeriter |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| pupa | doll | 1st, fem. | pup- |
| ambulo | I walk | (ambulare, 1st) | ambula- |
| canto | I sing | (cantare, 1st) | canta- |
| salto | I dance | (saltare, 1st) | salta- |
| soleo | I am accustomed to | (solere, 2nd) | sole- |
| colligo | I collect | (colligere, 3rd) | collig- |
| pingo | I paint | (pingere, 3rd) | ping- |
| saepe | often | adverb | |
| suaviter | softly | adverb |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| fabula | story | 1st, fem. | fabul- |
| piscina | pond, pool | 1st, fem. | piscin- |
| platea | courtyard | 1st, fem. | plate- |
| mos | custom | 3rd, masc. | mor- |
| antiquus | ancient | -us, -a, -um | antiqu- |
| narro | I tell | (narrare, 1st) | narra- |
| nato | I swim | (natare, 1st) | nata- |
| curro | I run | (currere, 3rd) | curr- |
| ire | to go | (irregular) | |
| celeriter | quickly, fast | adverb | |
| lente | slowly | adverb |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| animal | animal | 3rd, neut. | animal- |
| ignis | fire | 3rd, masc. | ign- |
| pons | bridge | 3rd, masc. | pont- |
| pessimus | worst | -us, -a, -um | pessim- |
| deleo | I destroy | (delere, 2nd) | dele- |
| forte | by chance | adverb | |
| rapide | rapidly | adverb |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| arbor | tree | 3rd, fem. | arbor- |
| flumen | river | 3rd, neut. | flumin- |
| homo | human | 3rd, masc. | homin- |
| ascendo | I climb, I rise | (ascendere, 3rd) | ascend- |
| fluo | I flow | (fluere, 3rd) | flu- |
| languide | sluggishly | adverb |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| caelum | sky | 2nd, neut. | cael- |
| ventus | wind | 2nd, masc. | vent- |
| perflo | I blow through | (perflare, 1st) | perfla- |
| exeo | I exit | (exire, ~ ire) | |
| vehementer | violently | adverb | |
| per | through | + accusative |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| silva | forest | 1st, fem. | silv- |
| umbra | shadow | 1st, fem. | umbr- |
| imber | rain | 3rd, masc. | imbr- |
| mons | mountain | 3rd, masc. | mont- |
| descendo | I descend | (descendere, 3rd) | descend- |
| de | from | + ablative |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| perna | ham | 1st, fem. | pern- |
| caseus | cheese | 2nd, masc. | case- |
| panis | bread | 3rd, masc. | pan- |
| fartus | stuffed | -us, -a, -um | fart- |
| esurio | I am hungry | (esurire, 4th) | esuri- |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| oleo | I smell (of) | (olere, 2nd) | ole- |
| comedo | I eat | (comedere, 3rd) | comed- |
| nimis | too much | ||
| sine dubio | without a doubt | ||
| tam | so | ||
| valde | greatly |
| Latin | English | Additional Info | Stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| aurora | dawn | 1st, fem. | auror- |
| caffea | coffee | 1st, fem. | caffe- |
| ientaculum | breakfast | 2nd, neut. | ientacul- |
| semisomnus | half-asleep | -us, -a, -um | semisomn- |
| stultus | stupid | -us, -a, -um | stult- |
| bibo | I drink | (bibere, 3rd) | bib- |
| exhaurio | I drain | (exhaurire, 4th) | exhauri- |