Download - A review of cases
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.