World Languages: Latin: Noun Declensions and Cases
Identifying noun forms, cases, numbers, and declensions
World Languages: Latin: Noun Declensions and Cases
Identifying noun forms, cases, numbers, and declensions
World Languages - Grade 9-12
- 1
Identify the declension of the noun puella, puellae, f. Explain how you know.
Look at the second form in the dictionary entry.
Puella is a first declension noun because its genitive singular form is puellae. The genitive singular ending -ae is the main dictionary clue for first declension nouns. - 2
Identify the case and number of puellam in the sentence: Agricola puellam videt.
Puellam is accusative singular. It is the direct object of the verb videt, because the farmer sees the girl. - 3
Complete the sentence with the correct form of amicus, amici, m.: Puellae librum ______ dant. Translation: The girls give a book to the friend.
The dative case often shows the indirect object, such as to or for someone.
The correct form is amico. The noun means to the friend, so it is dative singular: Puellae librum amico dant. - 4
Match each Latin case to its most common sentence function: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, ablative. Use these functions: direct object, subject, possession, indirect object, means or accompaniment.
Nominative usually shows the subject. Genitive usually shows possession. Dative usually shows the indirect object. Accusative usually shows the direct object. Ablative can show means or accompaniment. - 5
Identify the case and number of servorum in the phrase villa servorum.
Look for the idea of of or possession.
Servorum is genitive plural. The phrase means the house of the slaves or the slaves' house, so servorum shows possession. - 6
Give the nominative plural form of dominus, domini, m.
The nominative plural form is domini. Dominus is a second declension masculine noun, and the nominative plural ending is -i. - 7
Identify the declension of rex, regis, m. Explain the clue in the dictionary entry.
Third declension nouns often have a nominative singular form that looks different from the stem found in the genitive.
Rex is a third declension noun because its genitive singular form is regis. The genitive singular ending -is is the main dictionary clue for third declension nouns. - 8
In the sentence Regina cum puellis ambulat, identify the case and number of puellis and explain why it has that form.
Puellis is ablative plural. It follows the preposition cum, which means with and takes the ablative case. The sentence means The queen walks with the girls. - 9
Complete the declension chart for porta, portae, f. by writing the singular forms for nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, and ablative.
Use the first declension singular pattern: -a, -ae, -ae, -am, -a.
The singular forms are nominative porta, genitive portae, dative portae, accusative portam, and ablative porta. These are first declension singular endings. - 10
Translate the noun phrase magno in horto and identify the case, number, and gender of magno and horto.
Magno in horto means in the large garden. Both magno and horto are ablative singular masculine. The adjective magno agrees with horto in case, number, and gender. - 11
Choose the correct Latin form to complete the sentence: Nautae ______ audiunt. Translation: The sailors hear the voices. Options: vox, vocem, voces, vocum.
Ask what the sailors hear, then choose the accusative plural form.
The correct form is voces. It is accusative plural because the voices are the direct object of the verb audiunt. - 12
Analyze the sentence: Puer librum poetae dat. Identify the case and function of puer, librum, and poetae.
Puer is nominative singular and functions as the subject. Librum is accusative singular and functions as the direct object. Poetae is dative singular and functions as the indirect object, meaning to the poet.