ADJECTIVES –
words describing nouns/pronouns
ENGLISH – small; pretty
LATIN – parvus; pulchra
ADVERBS –
describes a verb
ENGLISH – quickly; slowly
LATIN– celeriter; tarde
(THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)



2 Types of Adjectives:
1st/2nd declension - e.g. laetus, -a, -um
3rd declension - e.g. celeris, -is, -e
DICTIONARY FORM –
masc. nom. sing., fem., nom., sing., neuter, nom., sing. – meaning

Their endings must AGREE with the gender, number,
and case of the Latin noun they describe
◦ EXAMPLES: parvus porcus – the small pig
 “porcus” is masculine, nominative, singular
 “parvus” has a masculine, nominative, singular ending
 THUS, they AGREE!!!
 tardus senator – the slow senator
 “senator” is masculine, nominative, singular
 “tardus” has a masculine, nominative, singular ending
 THUS, they AGREE!!!



Adverbs are formed from Adjectives
Adverbs ending in “-e” come from 1st/2nd declen.
Adjectives (us, a, um Adj.)
Adverbs ending in “-ter”, or “-iter” come from
3rd declen. Adjectives (is, is, e Adj.)
e.g. - tardus = slow; tarde = slowly
laetās = happy; laete = happily
celeris = quick/fast; celeriter = quickly
fortis = brave; fortiter = bravely
POSITIVE ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS
ADJECTIVE: clarus,-a,-um (1st/2nd declen. Adj.)
ADVERB:
clare
ADJECTIVE: lēvis, levis, lēve (3rd declen. Adj.)
ADVERB: lēviter
NOTA BENE: like everything in LATIN, there are exceptions to the
rules above e.g. …
bonus,-a,-um (good) becomes, bene – well**
parvus, -a,-um(small) becomes, paulum-little**
magnus,-a,-um(great) becomes, magnoperegreatly**
Irregular adverbs; forms must be memorized!
Identify each as an adjective or adverb from the
Stage 21 vocab. list and translate:
1.
graviter - ________ 2. nonnullae - ________
3.
sapiens - ________ 4. occupate - _________
5.
durum - _________ 6. **nuper -____________
**different endings, check MEANING!!!**
Change each ADJ. to an ADV. based on your notes &
translate.
1.
peritus - ___________ 2. plenus -_______________
3.
sapientis - _________ 4. avidī - ________________
5. tristem - __________ 6. audacibus - ____________
DEGREE OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS
Positive, Comparative, Superlative
ADJECTIVES:
EXAMPLES:
Positive
Comparative Superlative -
ADVERBS
ENGLISH
pretty
prettier
prettiest
Positive
- quickly
Comparative - more quickly
Superlative - very quickly
LATIN
pulcher
pulchrior
pulcherrima
celeriter
celerius
celerrime
quam = “than” or “how”
Uses of “quam”
1. quam + regular/positive adj. = “how”
ex. quam pulchra est puella!
How pretty the girl is!
2. quam + comparative adj. = “than”
ex. Caecilius est quam pulchrior Quintus.
Caecilius is more handsome than Quintus.
3. quam + superlative adj. = “as…as possible”
ex. quam celerrimus – as quick as possible
***when used with a superlative ADVERB, quam
celerrime = as quickLY as possible