Basic English Grammar For Learning Latin

The phone rings.

Rings is the intransitive verb. In meaning not. The verb rings links the noun to
nothing.

The wonderful Latin student answers the phone.

Answers is a transitive verb. The word Answers brings the action to another
noun. From Student to the other noun phone.
The wonderful latin student is the noun, and the phone is the direct object.
Trans means in.

Julius Caesar is her friend.

is is a linking verb. It is equal to a = sign.

Julius Caesar = her friend.

I love the girl.
I is the subject, and the girl is the direct object. Or the object of my affection.
Transitive verbs have direct objects, but intransitive verbs do not.
I. All verbs have a subject, the controler or doer of the verb or action.
II. Some verbs have direct objects, receiver of the verb or action. These are
transitive verbs.
III. Some verbs can't have direct objects. These are intransitive verbs.
IV. Linking verbs (is, are) act like equal signs.

Nominative and Accusative Cases

The ending of Latin words change based on their use in the sentence.

servus sedet or the slave is sitting

Servus is the noun that is doing something. It is sitting. Therefore it is a

Nominative case.

Dominus servum salutat or the master is greeting the slave.

Servus changes to Servum because now the slave is receiving from the other
noun or the master.
This is an Accusative case. Accusative nouns often end in m

felis murem salutat

The cat is greeting the mouse.
Felis or the Cat, is the subject. This comes first in the sentence. Followed by the
direct object or murem/mouse. Then the verb, salutat.
Subject, direct object, verb.

Claudia est puella

Claudia is a girl.
When you have a linking verb like is/est it acts like an equal sign. So both
subjects will be Nominative.
Hence, Claudia and Puella or nominative.

Principal Parts of Verbs

4 principal parts of the verb: Love

I.) amo
Meaning: I love It is the first person, singular, and present form of the
verb. 1st principal part almost always ends in an O

II.)

amare
Meaning: To love Infinitave verson of the verb. Most invinitave verbs in
Latin end in re

III.) amavi
Meaning: I loved. It is perfect tense, or past tense. Most third principal
parts end in an i

IV.) amatus
Meaning: Loved. Acts as a verb, i.e. the girl was loved by the boy. Often
ends in us

Latin Alphabet Pronunciation

C is always hard, like in Cat
G is always hard, like in Gate never like Gem
I is both a consonant and a vowel. If the word begins with an I and is followed by a
vowel then the I sounds like a Y and is a constonant.
iam sounds like yaum
Iuno sounds like yuno
iactatus sounds like yuacktahtus
It is also a consonant if it is inbetween two vowels.
huius sounds like who-youse
Q is always followed by a u.
S like in soot. Never like a Z in rose
T always sounds like it does in time, never like in ratio

Present Tense
Singular:
1st Person: I love
2nd Person: You love
3rd Person: He/She/It loves

Plural:
1st Person: We love
2nd Person: You all love
3rd Person: They all love

First principle part: amo; is always the 1st person Singular or the I love part.
Then take the infinite stem of the 2nd principle part. For amare it is ama.
Singular:
1st Person: amo
2nd Person: amas

Plural:
1st Person: amamus
2nd Person: amatis

3rd Person: amat

3rd Person: amant

O, S, T, mus, tis, nt are the most common endings for words. Watch for the ending
to decide what is being said.
First and second principle parts are the same as used above. Thrid principle parts
are different though as shown in the example below.

Third Principle Part: traho, trahere

Because it ends in a short e it will change.
The short e will turn into an I, and in 3rd person plural it will be a U.
Singular:
1st Person: traho
2nd Person: trahis
3rd Person: trahit

Plural:
1st Person: trahimus
2nd Person: trahi tis
3rd Person: trahunt

Word that end in ire are seen below.

Audio, audire
3rd Person Plural you add a U after the I. Rest is the same.
Singular:
1st Person: audio
2nd Person: audis
3rd Person: audit

Plural:
1st Person: audimus
2nd Person: auditis
3rd Person: audiunt

To form the Present Tense remember:

I. Identify the present stem, which is the 2nd prinicpal part withouth the re.
II. Write in the 1st principal part. This is the 1st person singular.
III. Then add the personal endings to the stem.
IV. The 3rd conjugation stem varies, (-i-)
V. The 3rd plural ends -unt (3rd/4th conj. parts)

Vowels:
Long a is like Father.
Short a is like idea.
Long e is like date.
Short e is like bet.
Long I is like machine.
Short I is like sit.
Long o is like holy.
Short o is like off.
Long u is like hoot.
Short u is like foot.
Long y is like uber
Short y is like tu
Diphthongs: Two vowels come together in one syllable.
AE sounds like aye
EI sounds like A
OE sounds like oye
EU sounds like eh-you
AU sounds like ow
UI sounds like in quick.