Ora et Labora

Grammar

Some basic grammar knowledge is essential when beginning to read Latin. This article looks at the fundamental of Latin grammar including how to translate a simple sentence. (If your English grammar is weak, then watch this refresher video first.)

Table of Contents

Verbs – English Grammar

Verbs are the fundamental unit of grammar, and are contained in every sentence, either explicitly or implicitly.

Verbs – Latin Grammar

  • Latin verbs are divided into four groups called conjugations. 
  • Each conjugation is denoted by a particular vowel, called a stem-vowel, which helps to create the correct form of the verb (the first person singular is the exception to this.)
  • Click here to learn more about Latin verbs.

Nouns – Latin Grammar

  • The second building block of grammar is the noun.
  • Latin nouns are divided into groups called declensions, and as with verbs, noun endings change according to how the noun is used – whether that is as the subject, the object or in another way.
  • The way a noun is used is indicated by its ‘case.’
  • Click here to learn more about Latin nouns.

Adjectives – English Grammar

  • Adjectives modify or describe nouns and pronouns.
  • There are four types of adjectives
    • demonstrative: indicates a specific noun
    • descriptive: indicates a quality of a noun or pronoun
    • possessive: indicates the owner of a noun
    • interrogative: asks a question about a noun
  • Adjectives do not usually change their form

Adjectives – Latin Grammar

  • In Latin, adjectives have the same function as English adjectives
  • Latin adjectives change their form: they need to agree with their noun or pronoun in gender, number and case.
  • Click here to learn more about adjectives.

Translation – Latin to English

You’re now ready to construct sentences with nouns and verbs we’ve studied by selecting the correct form of each.

EXAMPLE: translate ‘The queen prays’ into Latin. The verb, prays, is the third person singular form of ‘to pray’. (Remember, this means ‘he prays’ or ‘she prays’.) In Latin, that is orat. (Look back at the tables above if you’re not sure how to find those forms.)

The subject, queen, is regina in Latin. So, in Latin, our sentence is: Regina orat. When the subject noun is specified in Latin, we translate that along with our verb. If no subject is specified, then we simply use the personal pronoun as our subject noun, e.g. Suspiramus – We sigh. Ecclesia suspirat – The Church sighs.

Questions – Latin

  • There are several ways that questions may be asked in Latin
    • Place a question mark at the end of a declarative sentence
    • Add ne to an emphatic word at the start of the sentence (for direct questions which are answered either by ‘yes’ or ‘no’)
    • Begin the sentence with either nonne or an (when the answer ‘ye’s is expected)
    • Begin the sentence with num or numquid (when the answer ‘no’ is expected.)
    • Begin the sentence with si
    • Begin the sentence with an interrogative pronoun such as quis, quid, cur, quem.
    • Click here to learn more about Latin questions.

Learn more about Latin Grammar

Nouns

Verbs

General Latin