CHAPTER 13: Reflexive Pronouns and Possessives; Intensive Pronoun
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS:
Reflexive (from the word reflecto-to bend back) pronouns are used when the Subject of the verb is also the
Object of the verb. For 1st & 2nd person, you just use the forms of ego/nos and tu/vobis; for the 3rd person, you
use the pronoun sē.
EXAMPLES:
(1st person): Mē amō. → I love myself.
(2nd person): Tē amās. → You love yourself.
(3rd person): Is sē amat. → He loves himself.
DECLINING:
Nōs amāmus. → We love ourselves.
Vōs amātis. → You all love yourselves.
Hī sē amant. → These men love themselves.
Nom: ---Gen: suī
Dat: sibi
Acc: sē
Abl: sē
NOTE: SE ALWAYS REFERS BACK TO THE NOUN IN THE NOMINATIVE CASE!!
REFLEXIVE POSSESSIVES:
Just like the other possessive adjectives you know:
meus, -a, -um → my (belonging to me)
noster, nostra, nostrum → our (belonging to us)
tuus, -a, -um → your (belonging to you)
vester, vestra, vestrum → your (belonging to you all)
The reflexive pronoun also has a possessive adjective:
suus, -a, -um → his own, her own, its own, their own (belonging to the Nominative.)
EXAMPLE:
Suam matrem amat. → He loves his (own) mother.
Eius matrem amat.→ He loves his (some other guy’s) mother.
INTENSIVE PRONOUN: IPSE, IPSA, IPSUM → --self, the very_______
sg.
pl.
M
F
N
M
F
N
Nom. ipse
ipsa
ipsum
Nom. ipsī
ipsae
ipsa
Gen. ipsius
ipsius
ipsius
Gen. ipsōrum
ipsārum ipsōrum
Dat. ipsī
ipsī
ipsī
Dat. ipsīs
ipsīs
ipsīs
Acc. ipsum
ipsam
ipsum
Acc. ipsōs
ipsās
ipsa
Abl. ipsō
ipsā
ipsō
Abl. ipsīs
ipsīs
ipsīs
This word is an ADJECTIVE/PRONOUN just like hic and ille. Ipse INTENSIFIES the word it agrees with, it
ADDS EMPHASIS.
Ipse poeta puellam amat.→ The poet himself loves the girl.
Caesarem ipsum vidimus. → We saw Caesar himself.
Verba ipsa Ciceronis audiēbāmus. → We were hearing the words themselves (very words) of Cicero.
Ipsī hī virī sē patriae ipsī dant. → These men themselves (These very men) give themselves to the fatherland
itself (to the very fatherland).
EXAMPLE:
NOTE: SE AND IPSE ARE DIFFERENT WORDS WITH DIFFERENT MEANINGS!!