Latin · Grades 3–8 · Quick reference

Latin Grammar(Nouns · Verbs · Syntax)

Grades 3–88 pages

Classical and Church pronunciation, all five declensions, adjectives and pronouns, the four conjugations in six tenses active and passive, irregular verbs, participles, infinitives, the subjunctive, case uses, numbers and derivatives. Every form is checked in code.

1Pronunciation2Cases31st & 2nd decl.43rd–5th decl.5Case uses6Prepositions7Adjectives8Comparison9Personal pronouns10Demonstratives11Relative & quis12Conjugations13Perfect system14Passive15Sum & possum16Irregular verbs17Imperatives18Participles19Indirect statement20Subjunctive21Numbers22Derivatives

1Pronunciation: Classical & Churchtwo systems, one spelling

Where the two systems differ
Letters	Classical (the course)	Ecclesiastical (Church)
c	always k: Cicero KEE-keh-roh	ch before e, i, ae, oe: CHEE-cheh-roh
g	always hard: regit REH-git	j before e, i: REH-jit
v	w: veni WAY-nee	v: VEH-nee
ae / oe	eye / oy: caelum KYE-lum	eh: CHEH-lum
ti + vowel	tee: natio NAH-tee-oh	tsee: NAH-tsee-oh
sc + e, i	sk: scio SKEE-oh	sh: SHEE-oh
gn	g + n: agnus AHG-nus	ny: AH-nyoos
h	breathed: mihi MEE-hee	silent, but mihi and nihil say k: MEE-kee

The same in both: au says ow, consonant i says y (iam YAHM), r is tapped or rolled, s is always s, and ch says k.

Vowels

Classical long vowels: ā ah, ē ay, ī ee, ō oh, ū oo; short e eh, o o, u u; i and ī both ee.
A macron (ā) marks length, not spelling; this guide writes words plain, as the course does.
Church Latin: a ah, e eh, i ee, o aw, u oo, all one length.

Stress

Two syllables: the first, RO-sa.
Longer: the next-to-last if it is long (a-MAH-reh), else the one before (DOH-mi-nus). Never the last.

Read aloud: “Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit” (Psalm 23:1; Psalm 22:1 in the Vulgate): DOH-mi-nus REH-git may.

Classical in one breath

C is K, G is G, V is W, AE says eye: “KYE-sar WEH-nit” for Caesar venit.

2Nouns: Cases & the Five Declensionsendings show the job

The master map of endings
	1st	2nd m.	2nd n.	3rd m./f.	3rd n.	4th	5th
Nom. sg.	-a	-us	-um	(varies)	(varies)	-us	-es
Gen. sg.	-ae	-i	-i	-is	-is	-us	-ei
Dat. sg.	-ae	-o	-o	-i	-i	-ui	-ei
Acc. sg.	-am	-um	-um	-em	= nom.	-um	-em
Abl. sg.	-a	-o	-o	-e	-e	-u	-e
Nom. pl.	-ae	-i	-a	-es	-a	-us	-es
Gen. pl.	-arum	-orum	-orum	-um (-ium)	-um	-uum	-erum
Dat. pl.	-is	-is	-is	-ibus	-ibus	-ibus	-ebus
Acc. pl.	-as	-os	-a	-es	-a	-us	-es
Abl. pl.	-is	-is	-is	-ibus	-ibus	-ibus	-ebus

Neuter rule: nominative and accusative are always the same, and their plural ends in -a. Dat. and abl. plural are always alike.

The five cases (course order)
Case	Job	Example
Nominative	subject; after sum	Regina cantat.
Genitive	of, ’s	gloria domini
Dative	to, for	Regina puellae rosam donat.
Accusative	direct object; to	Regina puellae rosam donat.
Ablative	by, with, from, in, on	cum puella; in via

Vocative (calling someone) matches the nominative except -us → -e (domine) and -ius → -i (fili).

The genitive tells the declension
Decl.	Endings	Dictionary entry	Gender
1st	-a, -ae	puella, puellae	mostly fem.
2nd	-us, -i / -um, -i	dominus, domini	masc. / neuter
3rd	varies, -is	rex, regis; corpus, corporis	all three
4th	-us, -us	senatus, senatus	mostly masc.
5th	-es, -ei	res, rei	mostly fem.

Stem = genitive minus its ending: regis → reg-.

Latin GrammarLatin · Grades 3–8 · continued

3First & Second Declensionspuella, dominus, bellum

Case	puella, -ae (f.) girl	dominus, -i (m.) lord	puer, -i (m.) boy	ager, agri (m.) field	bellum, -i (n.) war
Nom. sg.	puella	dominus	puer	ager	bellum
Gen. sg.	puellae	domini	pueri	agri	belli
Dat. sg.	puellae	domino	puero	agro	bello
Acc. sg.	puellam	dominum	puerum	agrum	bellum
Abl. sg.	puella	domino	puero	agro	bello
Nom. pl.	puellae	domini	pueri	agri	bella
Gen. pl.	puellarum	dominorum	puerorum	agrorum	bellorum
Dat. pl.	puellis	dominis	pueris	agris	bellis
Acc. pl.	puellas	dominos	pueros	agros	bella
Abl. pl.	puellis	dominis	pueris	agris	bellis

Watch for

puellae can be gen. sg., dat. sg. or nom. pl.; -is is dat. or abl. plural. Let the sentence decide.
A few 1st-declension nouns are masculine: agricola (farmer), nauta (sailor), poeta.
puer keeps its e (pueri); ager drops it (agri). The genitive shows which.

Read the endings Worked

Fama puellarum magna est.The fame of the girls is great.
Dominus servis cibum dat.The lord gives food to the slaves.
Agricola bella non amat.The farmer does not love wars.

4Third, Fourth & Fifth Declensionsrex, corpus, senatus, res

Third declension · fourth and fifth
Case	rex, regis (m.) king	corpus, -oris (n.) body	civis, -is (m.) citizen	mare, -is (n.) sea	senatus, -us (m.) senate	manus, -us (f.) hand	res, rei (f.) thing	dies, -ei (m.) day
Nom. sg.	rex	corpus	civis	mare	senatus	manus	res	dies
Gen. sg.	regis	corporis	civis	maris	senatus	manus	rei	diei
Dat. sg.	regi	corpori	civi	mari	senatui	manui	rei	diei
Acc. sg.	regem	corpus	civem	mare	senatum	manum	rem	diem
Abl. sg.	rege	corpore	cive	mari	senatu	manu	re	die
Nom. pl.	reges	corpora	cives	maria	senatus	manus	res	dies
Gen. pl.	regum	corporum	civium	marium	senatuum	manuum	rerum	dierum
Dat. pl.	regibus	corporibus	civibus	maribus	senatibus	manibus	rebus	diebus
Acc. pl.	reges	corpora	cives	maria	senatus	manus	res	dies
Abl. pl.	regibus	corporibus	civibus	maribus	senatibus	manibus	rebus	diebus

i-stems

Nouns like civis (same syllable count in nom. and gen.) take -ium in the gen. plural.
Neuters in -e, -al, -ar (mare, animal) also take abl. sg. -i and nom./acc. pl. -ia.

Genders to remember

manus is feminine; dies is usually masculine; res is feminine.
res publica, “the public thing,” gave us republic.

5Case Usesgenitive, dative, accusative, ablative

Genitive: whose? of what?
Use	Example
possession	liber puellae: the girl’s book
partitive	pars militum: some of the soldiers

Dative: to or for whom?
Use	Example
indirect object	Rosam puellae do: I give a rose to the girl.
possessor	Mihi est liber: I have a book.

Accusative: whom? where to? how long?
Use	Example
direct object	Librum lego: I read the book.
place to which	ad urbem; Romam: to the city; to Rome
extent of time or space	tres dies; decem pedes: for three days; ten feet
subject of an infinitive	Dico eum venire: I say that he is coming.

Ablative: by, with, from, in, when?
Use	Example
means	gladio pugnat: fights with a sword
manner	magna cura: with great care
time when, within	prima luce; tribus horis: at dawn; within three hours
place where, from	in urbe; ex urbe: in the city; out of the city
agent (a/ab)	a servo: by the slave

Latin GrammarLatin · Grades 3–8 · continued

6Prepositions by Casewhere to, where, from

Takes the accusative	Meaning
ad	to, toward
ante	before
apud	at the house of, among
circum	around
contra	against
inter	between, among
ob, propter	because of
per	through
post	after, behind
prope	near
trans	across

Takes the ablative	Meaning
a, ab	from, away from; by (a person)
cum	with
de	down from, about
e, ex	out of
pro	in front of, for
sine	without
in	in, on
sub	under (at rest)

in and sub take the accusative for motion: in via (in the road) but in viam (into the road).

SID’S PACE (Traditional)

Sub, In, De, Sine, Pro, A/ab, Cum, E/ex: the prepositions that take the ablative.

Where? Where to? From where?

ubi? (where?) ablative: in oppido. quo? (where to?) accusative: ad oppidum. unde? (from where?) ablative: ex oppido.
City names drop the preposition: Romam (to Rome), Roma (from Rome), Romae (at Rome, the locative). So do domum (home) and domi (at home).

7Adjectivesagree in gender, number, case

1st/2nd and 3rd declension
Case	bonus (m.)	bona (f.)	bonum (n.)	fortis (m./f.)	forte (n.)
Nom. sg.	bonus	bona	bonum	fortis	forte
Gen. sg.	boni	bonae	boni	fortis	fortis
Dat. sg.	bono	bonae	bono	forti	forti
Acc. sg.	bonum	bonam	bonum	fortem	forte
Abl. sg.	bono	bona	bono	forti	forti
Nom. pl.	boni	bonae	bona	fortes	fortia
Gen. pl.	bonorum	bonarum	bonorum	fortium	fortium
Dat. pl.	bonis	bonis	bonis	fortibus	fortibus
Acc. pl.	bonos	bonas	bona	fortes	fortia
Abl. pl.	bonis	bonis	bonis	fortibus	fortibus

3rd-declension adjectives are i-stems: abl. sg. -i, gen. pl. -ium, neuter pl. -ia.

Agreement

An adjective matches its noun in gender, number and case, not always in ending: agricola bonus, nauta clarus (masculine nouns in 1st-declension clothes).
Adjectives usually follow the noun; size and number words often come first: magnum bellum.

Reading adjective entries
Pattern	Dictionary entry
-er, -ra, -rum	pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum (beautiful)
-er, -era, -erum	miser, misera, miserum (wretched)
three endings (3rd)	acer, acris, acre (sharp)
two endings (3rd)	fortis, forte (brave)
one ending (3rd)	ingens, gen. ingentis (huge)

8Comparison & Adverbslongus, longior, longissimus

Three degrees
Positive	Comparative (m./f., n.)	Superlative
longus (long)	longior, longius	longissimus
fortis (brave)	fortior, fortius	fortissimus
pulcher (beautiful)	pulchrior, pulchrius	pulcherrimus
bonus (good)	melior, melius	optimus
malus (bad)	peior, peius	pessimus
magnus (great)	maior, maius	maximus
parvus (small)	minor, minus	minimus
multus (much)	plus (n.)	plurimus

Comparatives decline like 3rd-declension nouns: fortior, fortioris; abl. sg. -e, gen. pl. -um, n. pl. -a. Superlatives decline like bonus.

How they are built

Comparative: stem + -ior (m./f.), -ius (n.): longior, “longer, rather long.”
Superlative: stem + -issimus: longissimus, “longest, very long.”
Adjectives in -er double the r: -errimus. Six in -lis (facilis, similis …) take -illimus.
quam = than: Marcus est altior quam Paulus. Or use the ablative: altior Paulo.

Citius, Altius, Fortius

The Olympic motto is three comparative adverbs: faster, higher, stronger.

Adverbs
Adverb	Comparative	Superlative
longe	longius	longissime
fortiter	fortius	fortissime
bene	melius	optime
male	peius	pessime
magnopere	magis	maxime
facile	facilius	facillime

From 1st/2nd adjectives add -e (longe); from 3rd add -iter (fortiter). The comparative adverb is the neuter comparative: fortius.

Latin GrammarLatin · Grades 3–8 · continued

9Personal & Reflexive Pronounsego, tu, nos, vos

Case	I	you (sg.)	we	you (pl.)	himself, herself
Nom.	ego	tu	nos	vos	(none)
Gen.	mei	tui	nostrum	vestrum	sui
Dat.	mihi	tibi	nobis	vobis	sibi
Acc.	me	te	nos	vos	se
Abl.	me	te	nobis	vobis	se

se points back to the subject: Marcus se laudat, Marcus praises himself. It has no nominative.

Using them

The verb ending already gives the subject: amo, I love. Add ego or tu only for emphasis or contrast.
cum joins on the end: mecum, tecum, nobiscum (with me, with you, with us).
Possessives are adjectives that agree with the thing owned: meus, tuus, suus, noster, vester: pater noster, vox tua, mater mea.

Pronouns at work Worked

Mihi librum dat.He gives the book to me.
Dominus tecum.The Lord be with you.
Puer canem suum amat.The boy loves his (own) dog.

10Demonstrativesis, hic, ille

he, she, it · this · that
Case	is	ea	id	hic	haec	hoc	ille	illa	illud
Nom. sg.	is	ea	id	hic	haec	hoc	ille	illa	illud
Gen. sg.	eius	eius	eius	huius	huius	huius	illius	illius	illius
Dat. sg.	ei	ei	ei	huic	huic	huic	illi	illi	illi
Acc. sg.	eum	eam	id	hunc	hanc	hoc	illum	illam	illud
Abl. sg.	eo	ea	eo	hoc	hac	hoc	illo	illa	illo
Nom. pl.	ei	eae	ea	hi	hae	haec	illi	illae	illa
Gen. pl.	eorum	earum	eorum	horum	harum	horum	illorum	illarum	illorum
Dat. pl.	eis	eis	eis	his	his	his	illis	illis	illis
Acc. pl.	eos	eas	ea	hos	has	haec	illos	illas	illa
Abl. pl.	eis	eis	eis	his	his	his	illis	illis	illis

Meanings

is, ea, id: he, she, it; that. eius = his, her, its (someone else’s, not the subject’s).
hic: this (here, near me). ille: that (there); also “the famous”: Alexander ille.
Used with a noun, each one agrees like an adjective: haec puella, illud bellum.

Three more

iste, ista, istud: that (of yours); declines like ille.
ipse, ipsa, ipsum: -self, the very: rex ipse, the king himself. Gen. ipsius.
idem, eadem, idem: the same (is + -dem): eundem librum, the same book.

-ius and -i

All these share two endings in the singular: gen. -ius, dat. -i (illius, illi; ipsius, ipsi). So do unus, solus, totus, nullus.

11Relative & Interrogativewho, which, what?

qui, quae, quod: who, which, that
Case	qui (m.)	quae (f.)	quod (n.)
Nom. sg.	qui	quae	quod
Gen. sg.	cuius	cuius	cuius
Dat. sg.	cui	cui	cui
Acc. sg.	quem	quam	quod
Abl. sg.	quo	qua	quo
Nom. pl.	qui	quae	quae
Gen. pl.	quorum	quarum	quorum
Dat. pl.	quibus	quibus	quibus
Acc. pl.	quos	quas	quae
Abl. pl.	quibus	quibus	quibus

The relative rule

A relative pronoun takes its gender and number from the word it refers to (the antecedent) and its case from its job in its own clause.
Puella quae cantat mea est: quae is feminine singular (puella) and nominative (subject of cantat).
Puer quem vides frater meus est: quem is masculine singular, accusative (object of vides).

Ask and answer Worked

Quis venit? Marcus venit.Who is coming? Marcus.
Quid facis?What are you doing?
Cuius est liber?Whose book is it?

Interrogative pronoun
Case	quis? who?	quid? what?
Nom.	quis	quid
Gen.	cuius	cuius
Dat.	cui	cui
Acc.	quem	quid
Abl.	quo	quo

The plural, and the adjective (qui liber? which book?), use the forms of qui, quae, quod.

Latin GrammarLatin · Grades 3–8 · continued

12Verbs: The Four Conjugationspresent, imperfect, future

Present: I love, am loving, do love
Person	amo (1st) love	moneo (2nd) warn	rego (3rd) rule	capio (3rd -io) take	audio (4th) hear
1st sg.	amo	moneo	rego	capio	audio
2nd sg.	amas	mones	regis	capis	audis
3rd sg.	amat	monet	regit	capit	audit
1st pl.	amamus	monemus	regimus	capimus	audimus
2nd pl.	amatis	monetis	regitis	capitis	auditis
3rd pl.	amant	monent	regunt	capiunt	audiunt

Imperfect: I was loving
Person	amo	rego	audio
1st sg.	amabam	regebam	audiebam
2nd sg.	amabas	regebas	audiebas
3rd sg.	amabat	regebat	audiebat
1st pl.	amabamus	regebamus	audiebamus
2nd pl.	amabatis	regebatis	audiebatis
3rd pl.	amabant	regebant	audiebant

moneo goes like amo (monebam), capio like audio (capiebam).

Future: I will love
Person	amo	rego	audio
1st sg.	amabo	regam	audiam
2nd sg.	amabis	reges	audies
3rd sg.	amabit	reget	audiet
1st pl.	amabimus	regemus	audiemus
2nd pl.	amabitis	regetis	audietis
3rd pl.	amabunt	regent	audient

1st and 2nd: -bo, -bis, -bit (monebo). 3rd and 4th: -am, -es, -et (capiam), so reget is future but regit is present.

Which conjugation?

Look at the infinitive: -are 1st, -ere (stressed e, monEre) 2nd, -ere (unstressed, REgere) 3rd, -ire 4th. 3rd -io verbs end in -io but have a 3rd infinitive: capio, capere.
Personal endings: -o/-m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt (I, you, he/she/it, we, you all, they).
The imperfect is the movie (was doing, kept doing); the perfect is the snapshot (did, has done).

Parse from the end Worked

ama|ba|nt: stem ama-, -ba- imperfect, -nt theythey were loving
reg|e|mus: 3rd conj., -e- future, -mus wewe will rule
audi|unt: 4th conj., presentthey hear

13Principal Parts & the Perfect Systemsix tenses, three stems

The four principal parts. Present stem from the infinitive (drop -re); perfect stem from the third part (drop -i).

The six indicative tenses. The pluperfect and future perfect are high school tenses; the course points to them in Grade 8.

Perfect system, active (amo)
Person	Perfect: I loved, have loved	Pluperfect: I had loved	Future perfect: I will have loved
1st sg.	amavi	amaveram	amavero
2nd sg.	amavisti	amaveras	amaveris
3rd sg.	amavit	amaverat	amaverit
1st pl.	amavimus	amaveramus	amaverimus
2nd pl.	amavistis	amaveratis	amaveritis
3rd pl.	amaverunt	amaverant	amaverint

Same endings for every conjugation: rexit, ceperat, audiverint. Perfect: -i, -isti, -it, -imus, -istis, -erunt.

Learn these as units
Principal parts	Meaning
amo, amare, amavi, amatus	love
moneo, monere, monui, monitus	warn
rego, regere, rexi, rectus	rule
capio, capere, cepi, captus	take
audio, audire, audivi, auditus	hear
do, dare, dedi, datus	give
video, videre, vidi, visus	see
duco, ducere, duxi, ductus	lead
mitto, mittere, misi, missus	send
venio, venire, veni, ventum	come

Intransitive verbs like venio give a fourth part in -um.

Latin GrammarLatin · Grades 3–8 · continued

14The Passive Voicethe subject receives

Present system, passive (amo)
Person	Present: I am loved	Imperfect: I was being loved	Future: I will be loved
1st sg.	amor	amabar	amabor
2nd sg.	amaris	amabaris	amaberis
3rd sg.	amatur	amabatur	amabitur
1st pl.	amamur	amabamur	amabimur
2nd pl.	amamini	amabamini	amabimini
3rd pl.	amantur	amabantur	amabuntur

Passive endings: -r, -ris, -tur, -mur, -mini, -ntur.

Perfect system, passive: participle + sum
Person	Perfect: I was loved	Pluperfect: I had been loved	Future perfect: I will have been loved
1st sg.	amatus sum	amatus eram	amatus ero
2nd sg.	amatus es	amatus eras	amatus eris
3rd sg.	amatus est	amatus erat	amatus erit
1st pl.	amati sumus	amati eramus	amati erimus
2nd pl.	amati estis	amati eratis	amati eritis
3rd pl.	amati sunt	amati erant	amati erunt

The participle agrees with the subject: puella amata est; bella gesta sunt.

Active to passive

The object becomes the subject; the doer goes into the ablative with a/ab (a person) or alone (a thing).
Servus librum scribit. → Liber a servo scribitur. The book is written by the slave.
Other conjugations (3rd sg., pl.): monetur, monentur; regitur, reguntur; capitur, capiuntur; auditur, audiuntur.

“Parvulus enim natus est nobis, et filius datus est nobis” (Isaiah 9:6, Vulgate): “unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6, KJV).

15Sum & Possumto be, to be able

sum, esse, fui, futurus: be
Person	Present	Imperfect	Future	Perfect	Pluperfect	Fut. perfect
1st sg.	sum	eram	ero	fui	fueram	fuero
2nd sg.	es	eras	eris	fuisti	fueras	fueris
3rd sg.	est	erat	erit	fuit	fuerat	fuerit
1st pl.	sumus	eramus	erimus	fuimus	fueramus	fuerimus
2nd pl.	estis	eratis	eritis	fuistis	fueratis	fueritis
3rd pl.	sunt	erant	erunt	fuerunt	fuerant	fuerint

possum, posse, potui: be able, can
Person	Present	Imperfect	Future	Perfect	Pluperfect	Fut. perfect
1st sg.	possum	poteram	potero	potui	potueram	potuero
2nd sg.	potes	poteras	poteris	potuisti	potueras	potueris
3rd sg.	potest	poterat	poterit	potuit	potuerat	potuerit
1st pl.	possumus	poteramus	poterimus	potuimus	potueramus	potuerimus
2nd pl.	potestis	poteratis	poteritis	potuistis	potueratis	potueritis
3rd pl.	possunt	poterant	poterunt	potuerunt	potuerant	potuerint

possum = pot- + sum: pot- before a vowel (potes), pos- before s (possum). It takes an infinitive: Venire possum, I can come.

Using sum

sum links a subject to a noun or adjective in the nominative: Marcus est agricola; Roma est magna.
At the head of a sentence it can mean “there is”: Est in horto puella.

“In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum” (John 1:1, Vulgate): “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1, KJV).

16Eo, Fero, Volo, Nolo, Malogo, carry, want

Present tense
Verb	Singular	Plural
eo	eo, is, it	imus, itis, eunt
fero	fero, fers, fert	ferimus, fertis, ferunt
volo	volo, vis, vult	volumus, vultis, volunt
nolo	nolo, non vis, non vult	nolumus, non vultis, nolunt
malo	malo, mavis, mavult	malumus, mavultis, malunt

Parts and other tenses (1st sg.)
Principal parts	Meaning	Impf.	Future
eo, ire, ii (ivi), itum	go	ibam	ibo
fero, ferre, tuli, latus	carry, bear	ferebam	feram
volo, velle, volui	want, be willing	volebam	volam
nolo, nolle, nolui	not want	nolebam	nolam
malo, malle, malui	prefer	malebam	malam

Perfect systems are regular: iit, tulit, voluit.

Watch for

nolo = ne + volo, malo = magis + volo.
eo has compounds: redeo (go back), exeo (go out), transeo (cross).
fero has odd parts: tuli, latus. Compounds: affero (bring), refero (bring back).

Latin GrammarLatin · Grades 3–8 · continued

17Imperatives & Infinitivescommands and “to” forms

Imperatives
Verb	Command (one)	Command (all)
amo	ama	amate
moneo	mone	monete
rego	rege	regite
capio	cape	capite
audio	audi	audite
sum	es	este
eo	i	ite
fero	fer	ferte

Short forms: dic, duc, fac (say, lead, do). Don’t: noli / nolite + infinitive: Noli timere, do not be afraid.

The six infinitives
Tense	Active	Passive
Present	amare: to love	amari: to be loved
Perfect	amavisse: to have loved	amatus esse: to have been loved
Future	amaturus esse: to be about to love	amatum iri (rare)

Present passive: 1st, 2nd, 4th change -e to -i (amari, moneri, audiri); 3rd drops -ere for -i (regi, capi).

Using infinitives

As a noun: Errare humanum est, to err is human.
With verbs like possum, volo, debeo: Legere volo, I want to read.
In indirect statement (§19) the infinitive carries the time.

18Participles & the Ablative Absoluteverbal adjectives

Four participles (amo)
Participle	Form	Meaning	Example
Present active	amans, amantis	loving	puer currens, the running boy
Perfect passive	amatus, -a, -um	having been loved	liber scriptus, a written book
Future active	amaturus, -a, -um	about to love	Ave, imperator, morituri te salutant.
Future passive	amandus, -a, -um	to be loved, must be loved	Carthago delenda est.

Participles are adjectives: they agree with their noun. Present active declines like ingens (amans, amantis); the others like bonus. Their time is relative to the main verb.

The ablative absolute (high school)

A noun and a participle in the ablative, set off by commas, give the background: when, since or although.
Urbe capta, milites discesserunt. With the city captured (after the city was captured), the soldiers left.
Caesare duce (no participle: sum has none): with Caesar as leader, under Caesar.

Deponent verbs (high school)

Passive forms, active meanings: hortor, hortari, hortatus sum (urge); sequor, sequi, secutus sum (follow); proficiscor, proficisci, profectus sum (set out).
Sequimur = we follow. Profecti sunt = they set out. The perfect participle is active: secutus, having followed.

Translate it freely Worked

Signo dato, pugnaverunt.When the signal had been given, they fought.

Hostibus victis, domum redierunt.After the enemy had been beaten, they went home.

Gerund and gerundive (high school)

The gerund is a verbal noun, “-ing”: ars amandi, the art of loving; Fabricando fit faber, by making one becomes a maker (our crest motto).
With a noun, Latin prefers the gerundive, which agrees: ad pacem petendam, for seeking peace.

19Indirect Statementhigh school preview

Accusative + infinitive

After verbs of saying, thinking, knowing and perceiving (dico, puto, scio, video, audio, nuntio), Latin puts the subject in the accusative and the verb in the infinitive. English adds “that.”
Direct: “Puella cantat.” Indirect: Dicit puellam cantare. He says that the girl is singing.
A subject that refers back to the speaker is se: Putat se venturum esse. He thinks that he (himself) will come.

The infinitive’s tense is relative
Infinitive	Time	Example	English
present	same time	Dicit puellam cantare.	He says that the girl is singing.
perfect	time before	Dixit puellam cantavisse.	He said that the girl had sung.
future	time after	Putat se venturum esse.	He thinks that he will come.

The participle in a future or perfect passive infinitive agrees with the accusative subject: Scio eam venturam esse.

Try it Worked

Scio terram rotundam esse.I know that the earth is round.

Nuntiat hostes venire.He announces that the enemy is coming.

Latin GrammarLatin · Grades 3–8 · continued

20The Subjunctivehigh school preview

Forms of amo
Person	Present	Imperfect	Perfect	Pluperfect	Pres. passive
1st sg.	amem	amarem	amaverim	amavissem	amer
2nd sg.	ames	amares	amaveris	amavisses	ameris
3rd sg.	amet	amaret	amaverit	amavisset	ametur
1st pl.	amemus	amaremus	amaverimus	amavissemus	amemur
2nd pl.	ametis	amaretis	amaveritis	amavissetis	amemini
3rd pl.	ament	amarent	amaverint	amavissent	amentur

Present: amo flips to e (amem); the rest take a (moneam, regam, capiam, audiam). Imperfect = infinitive + endings (amarem, regerem, essem). sum: sim, sis, sit.

Main uses
Use	Signal	Example
Command, wish	main verb; ne = not	Gaudeamus: let us rejoice. Nullus liber homo capiatur: let no free man be seized.
Purpose	ut, ne	Venit ut videat: he comes to see.
Result	tam, ita … ut	Tam celeriter cucurrit ut caderet: he ran so fast that he fell.
Indirect question	question word	Rogo ubi sit: I ask where he is.
cum clause	when, since, although	Cum Romae esset, mansit: since he was in Rome, he stayed.

Sequence of tenses: present main verb → present or perfect (Rogo ubi sit / fuerit); past → imperfect or pluperfect (Rogavi ubi esset / fuisset).

21Numbers & Roman Numeralsunus to mille

Counting words
	Cardinal	Ordinal		Cardinal	Ordinal
I (1)	unus	primus	VII (7)	septem	septimus
II (2)	duo	secundus	VIII (8)	octo	octavus
III (3)	tres	tertius	IX (9)	novem	nonus
IV (4)	quattuor	quartus	X (10)	decem	decimus
V (5)	quinque	quintus	C (100)	centum	centesimus
VI (6)	sex	sextus	M (1000)	mille	millesimus

20 viginti. 11–19: undecim, duodecim, tredecim, quattuordecim, quindecim, sedecim, septendecim, duodeviginti, undeviginti (“two from twenty”).

What declines

unus (unius, uni), duo, duae (duorum, duobus), tres, tria (trium, tribus); 4 to 100 do not.
milia takes the genitive: tria milia militum. Ordinals go like bonus.

Roman numerals

I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1,000. Add equal or smaller symbols.
Smaller before larger subtracts: IV, IX, XL, XC, CD, CM.
MMXXVI = 1,000 + 1,000 + 10 + 10 + 6 = 2026. MDCCLXXVI = 1776.

Numerals in order (Traditional)

“I Value Xylophones Like Cows Do Milk”: I, V, X, L, C, D, M from small to large.

22Derivatives & Latin PhrasesEnglish wears a toga

Roots you already use
Latin	English	Latin	English
porto (carry)	portable, transport, export	mitto, missus (send)	mission, transmit, dismiss
scribo, scriptus (write)	scribe, script, describe, manuscript	capio, captus (take)	capture, captive
video, visus (see)	video, vision, evident	manus (hand)	manual, manufacture
audio, auditus (hear)	audience, audible, auditorium	rex, regis (king)	regal, reign
duco, ductus (lead)	conduct, aqueduct, educate	liber (book) · liber (free)	library · liberty

The fourth principal part gives most English verbs and nouns: scriptus → script, missus → mission.

Latin still at work

habeas corpus: you may have the body (a court must see the prisoner); sub poena: under penalty (a subpoena); pro bono: for the good (free legal work); e pluribus unum: out of many, one; veto: I forbid; carpe diem: seize the day.

Prefixes: ad- (to), con- (with), de- (down), ex- (out), in- (in, or not), re- (back), sub- (under), trans- (across): conduct, eject, invisible, transmit. candidate comes from candidus, white, for the whitened toga of office seekers.