A review of cases

What are declensions?

A declension is really just a big word for a group.

Each declension has its own pattern of case endings. This means that it’s important to know what declension a noun belongs to; that way you know what pattern of endings to expect.

So what are the cases?

As mentioned there are six cases in total. These are:

• Nominative• Vocative• Accusative• Genitive• Dative• Ablative

The cases will always be listed in this order if you want to look them up in the back of the book.

A way of remembering the order of cases

• Never (Nom)• Vomit (Voc)• After (Acc)• Gobbling (Gen)• Down (Dat)• Apples (Abl)

Nominative

The Nominative is case is primarily used for the SUBJECT of the sentence. i.e. the person or thing who is doing something in the sentence.

The dog is eating the dinner.

canis cenam consumit.

Nominative because he is performing the action of the verb

Vocative

The vocative cased is used when addressing someone or something.

Example

‘Oh dogs you are beautiful’

‘O canes pulchri estis’

Vocative

Accusative

The Accusative case is used primarily for the Object of the sentence. i.e. the person or thing who is having something done to them.

Example

The boy carries the dog

puer canem portat

The dog is accusative because it is being carried. In the sentence it is not doing anything.

Genitive

The primary use of the Genitive case is for possession or saying who something belongs to. Often translated using the word of

Example

The home of the dog

domus canis

Here the genitive is used because the it is the dog’s home.

DativeThe primary use of the dative case is when something is

being given to someone or when something is done for someone.

Examples:

He gave a gift to the dog.

donum cani dedit

He bought a present for the dog

donum cani emit.

AblativeThe Ablative is primarily translated by adding the words by, with or

from

Examples

I was greeted by the dog

cane salutata est

I walked with the dog

cane ambulavi

I ran from the dog.

cane cucurrit.

Quick Quiz

Write down the uses of all six cases on a rough piece of paper.

Starting now you have until this slide changes….

So what are the endings?

Nominative

1st declension

2nd declension

3rd declension

Singular -a -us -?

Plural -ae -i -es

Vocative

1st declension

2nd declension

3rd declension

Singular -a -e -?

Plural -ae -i -es

Accusative

1st declension

2nd declension

3rd declension

Singular -am -um -em

Plural -as -os -es

Genitive

1st declension

2nd declension

3rd declension

Singular -ae -i -is

Plural -arum -orum -(i)um

Dative

1st declension

2nd declension

3rd declension

Singular -ae -o -i

Plural -is -is -ibus

Ablative

1st declension

2nd declension

3rd declension

Singular -a -o -e

Plural -is -is -ibus

A reminder

There is no easy way round the fact that different cases have different endings. You just have to learn them.

Part of your prep is to learn the endings of the first three declensions (puella, servus and mercator p114)

Some Simple Sentences

To get you thinking about case endings here are some simple sentences to translate INTO LATIN. In each case I have given you the vocabulary (all nouns are in the nominative singular) you just need to change the endings so that they have the correct case ending…

You do not need to do anything to the verbs.

Sentences

1. The boy greets the girl (puer, puella, salutat)

2. The slaves give the money to the master (servus, dant, pecunia,

dominus)

3. The merchant dines with friends (mercator, cenat, amicus)

4. The slave’s tunic (servus, tunica)

5. The girls sing for the merchants (puella, cantant, mercator)

Answers

1. puer puellam salutat.

2. servi pecuniam domino dant.

3. mercator (cum) amicis cenat.

4. tunica servi.

5. puellae mercatoribus cantant.