September 15 th , 2011
5 primary characteristics.
 Person (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person).
 Number (singular, plural).
 Tense (present, past, future).
 Mood (indicative, subjunctive, imperative).
 Voice (active, passive).
 To “parse” a verb means to list its person, number,
mood, tense, and voice.
 To “conjugate” a verb is to list its forms according to
person and number according to its specific tense,
mood, and voice.
 1st person singular = I.
 2nd person singular = You.
 3rd person singular = She/He/It.
 1stperson plural = We.
 2nd person plural = You (Latin distinguishes between
“you” singular and “you” plural).
 3rd person plural = They.
 1st singular = I praise.
 2nd singular = You praise.
 3rd singular = She/He/It praises.
 1st plural = We praise.
 2nd plural = You praise.
 3rd plural = They praise.
 NOTE: English requires the presence of the pronoun
or an otherwise stated subject.
 Latin does not always require the subject to be explicitly stated.
 Determined by personal verb endings.
Personal Endings in the Present Indicative Active.
 1st singular = -o or -m.
 2nd singular = -s.
 3rd singular = -t.
 1st plural = -mus.
 2nd plural = -tis
 3rd plural = -nt.
 Personal endings are added to the verb stem.
 Step 1: Find the Verb Stem:
 2nd form listed in any dictionary entry; always ends in
“re”. (Laudāre – To Praise; Monēre – To advise).
 Step 2: Drop the infinitive ending “re” – Laudā - ,
Monē - .
 Step 3: Add personal endings.
Laudare – Stem = Lauda-
Monere – Stem = Mone-
 1st sing. – Laudo – I praise.
 2nd sing. – Laudas – Your
 1st sing. – Moneo – I advise.
 2nd sing. – Mones – You
 1st pl. – Laudamus - We
 1st pl. – Monemus – We
praise.
 3rd sing. – Laudat – She/He/It
praises.
praise.
 2nd pl. – Laudatis – You
praise.
 3rd pl. – Laudant – They
praise.
advise.
 3rd sing. – Monet – She/He/It
advises.
advise.
 2nd pl. – Monetis – You
advise.
 3rd pl. – Monent – They
advise.
 Laudare = 1st conjugation verb; characterized by the
infinitive –āre; thus “a” is retained on the verb stem.
 Monere = 2nd conjugation verb; characterized by the
infinitive –ēre; thus “e” is retained on the verb stem.
 A subject need not always be present in the sentence; often
implied by the verb ending ( i.e. “I praise the dog” = “Ego
canem laudo” OR “Canem laudo.”
 The present tense can be translated two ways (i.e. Laudo =
“I praise” OR “I am praising”); context will determine which
translation is required.
 Imperative = A direct order or a command.
 Therefore has only second person singular or plural forms.
The Singular imperative - Simply the verb stem.
 Laudā - “Praise!”
 Monē - “Advise!”
The Plural Imperative – Verb stem + -te:
 Laudāte – “Praise!”.
 Monēte – “Advise!”.
 Role of a noun and/or adjective in a sentence
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determined by its “case” not by word order.
Latin has 7 cases: Nominative, Genitive, Dative,
Accusative, Ablative, Vocative, Locative.
To list all the forms of a noun/adjective according to its
cases is called “declension.”
Latin has 5 declensions (i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc); Each
declension follows a specific pattern; learn to
recognize the pattern.
Nouns/adjectives also possess one of three genders:
Feminine, Masculine, and Neuter.
 Nominative – Always the subject of the sentence.
 Accusative – Direct object (except after certain prepositions, esp. motion
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toward).
Genitive – Usually the possessive case; translate with “of” (i.e. The book of the
poet OR the poet’s book).
Dative – Indirect object; indicate for whom/what or to whose advantage a
certain action is performed; translate as “to” or “for –” (i.e. The poet gave the
roses to the girl. He sacrificed his life for his country.); certain verbs take
dative objects.
Ablative – An adverbial case because it describes the means or the agent by
which an action was done (i.e. He shouted with great anger); accompaniment
(i.e. She went to Italy with her father.); place where or from which (i.e. He
departed from Greece to look for Caesar); time when or within which (i.e. On
the ides of March Caesar met his end); following certain prepositions (i.e. Ab
= by, from, Cum = with, De and Ex = from, in = on). NOTE: For now translate
with “by, with, or from” according to context.
Vocative – Implies an address; highly rhetorical (i.e. Oh Great Caesar....).
Porta (Gate)
Magna, Magnus,
Magnum (Great)
 Nom – Porta – a.
 Nom – Magna –a.
 Gen – Portae – ae.
 Gen – Magnae – ae.
 Dat – Portae – ae.
 Dat – Magnae – ae.
 Acc – Portam – am
 Acc – Magnam – am.
 Abl – Portā – ā.
 Abl – Magnā – ā.
 Voc – Porta – a.
 Voc – Magna – a.
 Nom – Portae – ae.
 Nom – Magnae – ae.
 Gen – Portārum – ārum.
 Gen – Magnārum – ārum.
 Dat – Portīs – īs.
 Dat – Magnīs – īs.
 Acc – Portās – ās.
 Acc – Magnās – ās.
 Abl – Portīs – īs.
 Abl – Magnīs – īs.
 Voc – Portae – ae.
 Voc – Magnae.
Amicus (Friend)
Magnus, Magna,
Magnum (Great)
 Nom – Amicus – us.
 Nom – Magnus – us.
 Gen – Amicī – ī.
 Gen – Magnī – ī.
 Dat – Amicō – ō.
 Dat – Magnō – ō.
 Acc – Amicum – um.
 Acc – Magnum – um.
 Abl - Amicō – ō.
 Abl - Magnō – ō.
 Voc – Amice – e.
 Voc – Magne – e.
 Nom - Amicī – ī.
 Nom - Magnī – ī.
 Gen – Amicōrum – ōrum.
 Gen – Magnōrum – ōrum.
 Dat – Amicīs. - īs.
 Dat – Magnīs. - īs.
 Acc – Amicōs – ōs.
 Acc – Magnōs – ōs.
 Abl - Amicīs. - īs.
 Abl - Magnīs. - īs.
 Voc - Amicī – ī.
 Voc - Magnī – ī.
 An adjective must agree with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and case
(i.e. Magnarum portarum – “of the great gates”; cum magnis amicis – “with
great friends”).
 Some cases are the same in form; only context which tell you which one to use.
 Memorize declensions; first declension is feminine and is characterized by the
“a” attached to the root; second declension is masculine and is characterized by
“u” attached to the root.
 Memorize what declension a noun belongs to when you learn that noun.
 Always identify 1. Main verb. 2. Subject (Nominative if expressed at all). 3.
Direct object (Accusative) – then fill in the rest.
 Sometimes a noun is used to further describe another
noun in the sentence: (i.e. I see Gaius, my son, in the
field).
 “Son” provides additional information about “Gaius”
and so “son” and “Gaius” are in apposition.
 Will agree in case and number.
 Gaium, filium meum, in agro video.