Vocative Case
for nouns of address (i.e., when
calling someone by name)
What do all of these sentences
have in common?
1) Where are they,
Cornelia?
2) Look at the big waves,
sailors!
3) Marcus, stay in the
house.
4) Do not move out of the
country, Cornelius!
What do all of these sentences
have in common?
1) Where are they,
• Each sentence is talking
Cornelia?
to a person BY NAME.
2) Look at the big waves,
sailors!
• That name goes in
3) Marcus, stay in the
vocative case.
house.
4) Do not move out of the • Let’s look at these same
country, Cornelius!
sentences in Latin.
What do all of these sentences
have in common?
1) Where are they,
1) Ubi sunt, Cornelia?
Cornelia?
2) Look at the big waves, 2) Spectāte magnās
sailors!
undās, nautae!
3) Marcus, stay in the
house.
3) Manē, Marce, in casā.
4) Do not move out of the
country, Cornelius!
4) Nolī movēre ē patriā,
Corneli!
What do all of these sentences
have in common?
In what case do most of
these nouns appear
to be?
1) Ubi sunt, Cornelia?
2) Spectāte magnās
undās, nautae!
3) Manē, Marce, in casā.
4) Nolī movēre ē patriā,
Corneli!
What do all of these sentences
have in common?
In what case do most of
these nouns appear
to be?
NOMINATIVE CASE,
and here’s why. . . .
1) Ubi sunt, Cornelia?
2) Spectāte magnās
undās, nautae!
3) Manē, Marce, in casā.
4) Nolī movēre ē patriā,
Corneli!
Rules for Vocative Case
• noun of address is usually set off by a comma;
it is NOT the subject of a sentence
• usually is accompanied by imperative mood
• vocative case looks like nominative,
EXCEPT:
• “us” noun  changes to “e”
• “ius” noun  changes to “i”
• Spectā librum, puella!
• Spectā librum, puella!
• Look at the book, girl!
Ambulāte ad
silvam, amīcī!
ambulo, ambulāre = walk
Ambulāte ad
silvam, amīcī!
Walk to the forest,
friends!
Liberā tē, captive!
tē = you, yourself (acc. case)
Liberā tē, captive!
Free yourself, prisoner!
tē = you, yourself (acc. case)
Movē ā casā,
male vir!
Movē ā casā,
male vir!
Move away from
the house, bad
man!
Let’s Review
• Vocative case looks
like nominative,
EXCEPT when a noun
ends in a “us” or an
“ius” (singular form
only).
Form the vocative singular of each.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Anna
Clara
Marcus
equus
Cornelius
socius
Form the vocative singular of each.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Anna
Clara
Marcus
equus
Cornelius
socius
1) Anna
Form the vocative singular of each.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Anna
Clara
Marcus
equus
Cornelius
socius
1) Anna
2) Clara
Form the vocative singular of each.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Anna
Clara
Marcus
equus
Cornelius
socius
1) Anna
2) Clara
3) Marce
Form the vocative singular of each.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Anna
Clara
Marcus
equus
Cornelius
socius
1)
2)
3)
4)
Anna
Clara
Marce
eque
Form the vocative singular of each.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Anna
Clara
Marcus
equus
Cornelius
socius
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Anna
Clara
Marce
eque
Corneli
Form the vocative singular of each.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Anna
Clara
Marcus
equus
Cornelius
socius
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Anna
Clara
Marce
eque
Corneli
soci
Form the vocative plural.
1) agricola
2) amicus
3) socius
Form the vocative plural.
1) agricola
2) amicus
3) socius
1) agricolae
Form the vocative plural.
1) agricola
1) agricolae
2) amicus
2) amicī
3) socius
Form the vocative plural.
1) agricola
1) agricolae
2) amicus
2) amicī
3) socius
3) sociī
Translate.
Quid, Quinte,
est nomen
taurī tuī ?
taurus, taurī = m., ???? (think
about sign of zodiac)
Translate.
Quid, Quinte,
est nomen
taurī tuī ?
Quintus, what is
the name of
your bull?
Work on the
land,
Metellus.
Work on the
land,
Metellus.
Laborā in
terrā, Metelle.
Cooks, prepare
the food!
coquus, coquī = m., cook
Cooks, prepare
the food!
Parāte cibum,
coquī!
coquus, coquī = m., cook
Last One!
Nolī portāre
tubam tuam
in casam, Iuli!
tuba, tubae = f., horn
Last One!
Nolī portāre
tubam tuam
in casam, Iuli!
Do not carry your
horn into the
house, Julius!
Vocative Case
• usually looks like _____ case
EXCEPT
–us becomes ______
–ius becomes ______
• NEVER the subject of a sentence
Vocative Case
• usually looks like vocative case
EXCEPT
–us becomes e
–ius becomes i
• NEVER the subject of a sentence