Latin Grammar Revision
Neuter Nouns
Usually feminine nouns are in the 1st & 3rd declensions. Usually masculine nouns are in the 2nd & 3rd declensions. However, for non-living objects we use this gender called the neuter.
Neuter nouns will always take endings from the 2nd & 3rd declensions (same as masculine nouns). Here is a neuter noun table:
2nd declension (bellum) | 3rd declension (flumen) | |
---|---|---|
Nominative sg | -um | Any (often -men) |
Accusative sg | -um | Any |
Nominative pl | -a | -a |
Accusative pl | -a | -a |
Adjective Table & Neuter Adjectives
masculine (2nd decl.) | feminine (1st decl.) | neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative sg | -us | -a | -um |
Accusative sg | -um | -am | -um |
Nominative pl | -i | -ae | -a |
Accusative pl | -os | -as | -a |
As you can see, the neuter ending is pretty straightforward. The nominative sg and accusative sg endings are all -um and the nominative pl and accusative pl all end in -a.
Perfect Tense Table
1st person sg | I ruled | rex-i |
2nd person sg | You ruled | rex-isti |
3rd person sg | He/She/It ruled | rex-it |
1st person pl | We ruled | rex-imus |
2nd person pl | You ruled | rex-istis |
3rd person pl | They ruled | rex-erunt |
The perfect tense is used for completed verbs in the past. It is one of 3 different past tenses that we use in Latin. Latin always has the same set of endings.
Noun Endings Table
1st declension (ancilla) | 2nd declension (servus) | 3rd declension (rex) | |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative sg | -a | -us | -any |
Accusative sg | -am | -um | -em |
Nominative pl | -ae | -i | -es |
Accusative pl | -as | -os | -es |
Adjectives
In Latin a noun has to agree with adjectives in three different aspects:
The same gender ending e.g. (masculine & feminine)
Both have to have the same number (singular & plural)
Both have to be in the same cass (nominative & accusative)
This often means that they will always have the same endings, but not always.
masculine (2nd decl.) | feminine (1st decl.) | neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative sg | -us | -a | -um |
Accusative sg | -um | -am | -um |
Nominative pl | -i | -ae | -a |
Accusative pl | -os | -as | -a |
Neuter Nouns
Usually feminine nouns are in the 1st & 3rd declensions. Usually masculine nouns are in the 2nd & 3rd declensions. However, for non-living objects we use this gender called the neuter.
Neuter nouns will always take endings from the 2nd & 3rd declensions (same as masculine nouns). Here is a neuter noun table:
2nd declension (bellum) | 3rd declension (flumen) | |
---|---|---|
Nominative sg | -um | Any (often -men) |
Accusative sg | -um | Any |
Nominative pl | -a | -a |
Accusative pl | -a | -a |
Adjective Table & Neuter Adjectives
masculine (2nd decl.) | feminine (1st decl.) | neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative sg | -us | -a | -um |
Accusative sg | -um | -am | -um |
Nominative pl | -i | -ae | -a |
Accusative pl | -os | -as | -a |
As you can see, the neuter ending is pretty straightforward. The nominative sg and accusative sg endings are all -um and the nominative pl and accusative pl all end in -a.
Perfect Tense Table
1st person sg | I ruled | rex-i |
2nd person sg | You ruled | rex-isti |
3rd person sg | He/She/It ruled | rex-it |
1st person pl | We ruled | rex-imus |
2nd person pl | You ruled | rex-istis |
3rd person pl | They ruled | rex-erunt |
The perfect tense is used for completed verbs in the past. It is one of 3 different past tenses that we use in Latin. Latin always has the same set of endings.
Noun Endings Table
1st declension (ancilla) | 2nd declension (servus) | 3rd declension (rex) | |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative sg | -a | -us | -any |
Accusative sg | -am | -um | -em |
Nominative pl | -ae | -i | -es |
Accusative pl | -as | -os | -es |
Adjectives
In Latin a noun has to agree with adjectives in three different aspects:
The same gender ending e.g. (masculine & feminine)
Both have to have the same number (singular & plural)
Both have to be in the same cass (nominative & accusative)
This often means that they will always have the same endings, but not always.
masculine (2nd decl.) | feminine (1st decl.) | neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative sg | -us | -a | -um |
Accusative sg | -um | -am | -um |
Nominative pl | -i | -ae | -a |
Accusative pl | -os | -as | -a |