• SUBJECT: The primary function of the Nominative Case is to be the SUBJECT of the sentence.

  • Example: The dog wags her tail

• PREDICATE: The nominative is also used when there is a linking verb equating the subject with the predicate.

  • Example: The dog is my friend

• POSSESSION: The primary function of the genitive case is to show POSSESSION.

  • My friend's dog is nice. That cat is a friend of my dog.

  • In English we show possession with an apostrophe (') s or using the preposition of

Other Genitives (Latin 3 and Higher)

• with Certain Adjectives

  • Plenus, a, um: full (of) Urbs erat plena populī = the city was full of people

• Partitive Genitive (Genitive of the Whole)

  • A genitive is used to denote the whole to which a part belongs
    Cives deīs partem cibī dederunt = citizens gave part of the food to the gods

• Genitive of description:

  • attributes a quality to a noun, usually physical

  • Diana dea magnae bellae est: Diana is a goddess of great beauty

  • This genitive is normally accompanied by an adjective

• Objective Genitive

  • When a noun has a verbal quality to it (love, hate, desire, etc.) the object of that noun goes into the genitive case. We still use the preposition “of”

  • Amor patriae militem hortatur (Love of Country encourages the soldier)

• Genitive with Causā

  • Genitive noun + causā. Translates as FOR THE SAKE OF (GENITIVE)

• Genitive with Verbs

  • Verbs of remembering (memini) and forgetting (obliviscor) take a genitive object

  • Verbs or charging or accusing take a genitive object

• INDIRECT OBJECT: The primary function of the dative case is to serve as the INDIRECT OBJECT, that it the person (or entity) that receives the direct object

  • Example: I give my homework to the dog. I throw my dog a treat.

• The Dative Case is usually partnered with the English Prepositions to or for. It is typically a person or person-like entity (animal, nation, city). It does not take a preposition in LATIN.

Other uses of the Dative (for Latin 3 and higher)

• Possession

  • • Used when referring to personal possessions (names, hair, clothes); partnered with a form of TO BE

    • Nomen mihi Marcus est = my name is Marcus (the name for me is Marcus)

• with Certain Adjectives

  • • Carus, a, um: dear (to); Gratus, a, um: pleasing (to); Similis, is, e: similar (to)

    • Discipuli sunt cari magistrae = the students are dear to the teacher

• with Verbs

  • • Translates as if the direct object of the sentence

    • Verbs that create specific relationships between the subject and the object: impero, servio, adiuvo (to help)

Milites civibus adiuvabant = the soldiers were helping the citizens

• • • Compound verbs whose meaning differs substantially from the original: occurro (to meet), praesto (to surpass)

Milites hostibus in bellō occurrunt = the soldiers are meeting the enemy in battle

• Reference

  • • Translates as TO or FOR; Describes from whose perspective a statement is true

    • Mihi Cicero est pulcher = to me, Cicero is handsome

• Purpose

  • • Explains for the purpose of an action; usually with verbs of motion

• Agent

  • • Used almost exclusively with passive periphrastics; translate as "by ____"

• Advantage/Disadvantage

  • • The dative case is used to denote who is benefitting (or being harmed by) the action of the sentence. We typically translate as “for”

Militēs populō pugnavērunt (the soldiers fought for the people)

• DIRECT OBJECT: The primary function of the Accusative case is to serve as the DIRECT OBJECT. This is the noun that receives the action of the verb

  • I love my dog. I read books. I make a salad. I throw a stick. I praise honesty.

• Object of the preposition: ALL Latin prepositions (besides pro, sine, cum, ab, ex, and de) take an ACCUSATIVE OBJECT.

  • PLACE TO WHICH: ad (to/toward), in (into), and sub (under) followed by an ACCUSATIVE object. Always partnered with a verb of motion. Examples: My dog runs into the street. I walk my dog to the park. We ran under the awning when it started raining.

Other uses of the ACCUSATIVE (Latin 2 and higher)

• Subject of Indirect Statement

  • Head Verb + Accusative Subject + infinitive

  • Minerva monstrat se deam esse = Minerva shows that she is a goddess

• Purpose

  • Identified by context. “ad” + the accusative. Often the accusative is the gerund or gerundive. Translate: “for the purpose of” or “for”

  • Supine of Purpose. When the Supine is put in the accusative case with a verb of motion, it is designating purpose.

• Duration of time

  • Translate as FOR. Answers for how long something was done. No preposition

  • Navigavimus trēs horas = we sailed for 3 hours

The ABLATIVE is the MOST dynamic of the cases with lots of different functions. In English, it generally falls under the heading of "object of the preposition". However, in Latin we classify it more discreetly based on the information it provides. To successfully determine the function of an ablative noun you must consider WHAT KIND of noun it is (person, place, thing) and if there is a LATIN PREPOSITION

• • Only the following LATIN PREPOSITIONS can take an ablative object: SUB, IN, DE, SINE, PRO, AB, CUM, EX (sid space)

• • For translating the ablative, a default hint is to apply BWIOFA. Go through the list of these English prepositions (By, With, In, On or Out of, From, At). Use the one that sounds best!

Ablatives learned in Latin 1

Location in space and time (PLACE)

• • Place Where: IN or SUB. Noun = place. translate as in, on, under

  • Place from Which: AB/A, E/EX, DE. Noun = place. translate as from, out of, away from, down from

  • Time: NO PREPOSITION in Latin. Noun = time word. translate as at, on, in, within [taught in Latin 2]

Relationship (PERSON)

• • Accompaniment: CUM or SINE. Noun = person. translate as with or without

  • Agent: A/AB. Noun = person, always with a passive verb or participle. translate as by [taught in Latin 2]

Method (THING)

• • Means: NO PREPOSITION in Latin. Noun = physical thing/object. translate as by or with

  • Manner: NO PREPOSITION in Latin (when partnered with an adjective it uses the preposition CUM). Noun = intangible thing, abstract quality (courage, honor). translate as with

  • Cause: NO PREPOSITION in Latin. Noun = thing. translate as because or on account of

Ablatives learned in Latin 2

• Agent

  • preposition a/ab. Noun is a person; verb/participle/infinitive is passive. Translate as BY

  • Verba ab magistrō dicebantur = the words were spoken by the teacher
    

• Time When

• No preposition in Latin; usually a singular noun (time word). Translate with "AT" or "IN"
  Dormimus nocte = we sleep at night

• Time Within Which: IN or WITHIN

  • No preposition in Latin; usually a plural noun (time word). Translate "WITHIN" or "IN"
    advenies tribus horīs = you will arrive within 3 hours
    

• Comparison

  • Paired with a comparative adjective or adverb. Translate as THAN
    Sextus celerius Marco cucurrerat = Sextus had run faster than Marcus
    

• Degree of Difference

  • Paulō = a little; multō = a lot; Paired with a comparative adjective or adverb
    Sextus paulo celerius currit = Sextus runs a little faster

• Ablative Absolute

  • Describes circumstances or cause for main action; Noun + Participle in the ablative case; usually comma-ed off

  • Level 1 translation: with the noun verbing (present participle) or with the noun having been verbed (perfect participle)

  • Level 2 translation: “with” becomes “when, since, although, while”. The participle becomes a verb whose finite tense is determined by the main verb

Ablatives learned in Latin 3

• Separation

  • Describes two people, places or things that are static and separated from each other. Translate as FROM

  • Often uses prepositions ab or de with a verb of separation (as opposed to a verb of motion). Examples: defendō, prohibeō.
    Dux hostes ab urbe prohibet = the leader keeps the enemy from the city
    

• With adjectives

  • Certain adjectives take an ablative object. Related to ablative of respect.
    Dignus + ablative = WORTHY OF (ABLATIVE)
    

• Respect/Specification

  • Describes the way in which something is the case (the area of specificity)

  • No Latin preposition. Identify by context. Trans. as IN (IN RESPECT TO)
    Galli inter se legibus different = the Gauls differ among themselves in laws
    

• With Verbs

  • 5 verbs (and their compounds) take an ablative object: Potior (to obtain), Utor (to use), Fungor (to occupy, execute), Fruor (to enjoy), Vescor (to eat)
    

• with cardinal numbers

  • When a cardinal number (e.g. 3, 4, 5, etc) is used, it is partnered with "ex" or "de" + the ablative.
    Septem ex amicis meis = 7 of my friends
    

• of description

  • The quality or intangible characteristic of a person is described in the ablative case; physical qualities are in the genitive case
    vir magno honore = a man of great honor