Adjectives
2-1-2 adjectives agree in case, number and gender with the noun they are describing.
E.g. The happy boy walked - puer laetus ambulavit
Boy - nominative, masculine, 2nd declension
Therefore:
Happy - nominative, masculine, 2nd declension
Placement: They go after the noun (except adjectives of size, quantity and demonstratives)
Plural Adjectives used as Nouns
In Latin, plural adjectives can be used as nouns:
multi many men
multae many women
omnes all men, all people, everyone
To translate an adjective + things (e.g. many things) Latin uses the neuter plural of the
adjective on its own in the nominative and the accusative.
Many things scare the boy
multa (nominative) puerum terrent
He knows everything (=all things) omnia (accusative) scit
If you need to use a case other than nominative or accusative to express adjective + things,
Latin used the word res (f) with a feminine adjective agreeing with it:
He found out about everything (=all things)
de omnibus rebus cognovit
,Adverbs
Adverbs may be formed from adjectives:
happy laetus happily laete
brave fortis bravely fortiter
The following adverbs are irregular:
good bonus well bene
easy facilis easily facile
The comparative adverb is the same as the comparative adjective neuter singular:
more quickly celerius
The superlative adverb is the same as the superlative adjective with -e instead of -us:
very quickly celerrime
But note the irregular:
very much plurimum
as…as possible is expressed by quam + superlative adjective/adverb
as quickly as possible quam celerrime
Placement: the adverb goes before the verb
Comparatives
Comparative adjectives agree with nouns in gender, case and number. If two persons or
things are being directly compared, the comparative adjective will agree with the first of the
pair.
Often followed by than which can be expressed in 2 ways:
- quam - followed by the same case that preceded it e.g. nominative subject,
comparative, verb, quam, nominative object
- ablative of comparison - if two persons or things are directly compared e.g.
nominative subject, ablative object, comparative, verb
In the singular, ‘plus’ is a noun. In the nominative and accusative case it is followed by a
genitive. In the plural ‘plus’ is an adjective.
Superlatives
Superlative adjectives agree with nouns in gender, case and number.
, Deponents
Passive verbs with an active meaning
E.g. I encouraged the boy - puerum hortatus sum
hortatus sum looks passive but is actually active
Participles:
present active:
stem + dominant vowel + -ns OR -nt
-ns is for nominative singular
-nt is for any other case
IF -nt is used, + 3rd declension noun endings
e.g. amans - loving
future active:
fourth principal part stem + -ur- + first/second-declension endings
e.g. amaturus - about to love
perfect passive:
fourth principal part stem + first/second-declension endings
e.g. amatus - (having been) loved
Ablative absolutes
used to add style to small clauses e.g. ‘with the letter having been read/with I had read the
letter’
PPP in the abl + abl subject
2-1-2 adjectives agree in case, number and gender with the noun they are describing.
E.g. The happy boy walked - puer laetus ambulavit
Boy - nominative, masculine, 2nd declension
Therefore:
Happy - nominative, masculine, 2nd declension
Placement: They go after the noun (except adjectives of size, quantity and demonstratives)
Plural Adjectives used as Nouns
In Latin, plural adjectives can be used as nouns:
multi many men
multae many women
omnes all men, all people, everyone
To translate an adjective + things (e.g. many things) Latin uses the neuter plural of the
adjective on its own in the nominative and the accusative.
Many things scare the boy
multa (nominative) puerum terrent
He knows everything (=all things) omnia (accusative) scit
If you need to use a case other than nominative or accusative to express adjective + things,
Latin used the word res (f) with a feminine adjective agreeing with it:
He found out about everything (=all things)
de omnibus rebus cognovit
,Adverbs
Adverbs may be formed from adjectives:
happy laetus happily laete
brave fortis bravely fortiter
The following adverbs are irregular:
good bonus well bene
easy facilis easily facile
The comparative adverb is the same as the comparative adjective neuter singular:
more quickly celerius
The superlative adverb is the same as the superlative adjective with -e instead of -us:
very quickly celerrime
But note the irregular:
very much plurimum
as…as possible is expressed by quam + superlative adjective/adverb
as quickly as possible quam celerrime
Placement: the adverb goes before the verb
Comparatives
Comparative adjectives agree with nouns in gender, case and number. If two persons or
things are being directly compared, the comparative adjective will agree with the first of the
pair.
Often followed by than which can be expressed in 2 ways:
- quam - followed by the same case that preceded it e.g. nominative subject,
comparative, verb, quam, nominative object
- ablative of comparison - if two persons or things are directly compared e.g.
nominative subject, ablative object, comparative, verb
In the singular, ‘plus’ is a noun. In the nominative and accusative case it is followed by a
genitive. In the plural ‘plus’ is an adjective.
Superlatives
Superlative adjectives agree with nouns in gender, case and number.
, Deponents
Passive verbs with an active meaning
E.g. I encouraged the boy - puerum hortatus sum
hortatus sum looks passive but is actually active
Participles:
present active:
stem + dominant vowel + -ns OR -nt
-ns is for nominative singular
-nt is for any other case
IF -nt is used, + 3rd declension noun endings
e.g. amans - loving
future active:
fourth principal part stem + -ur- + first/second-declension endings
e.g. amaturus - about to love
perfect passive:
fourth principal part stem + first/second-declension endings
e.g. amatus - (having been) loved
Ablative absolutes
used to add style to small clauses e.g. ‘with the letter having been read/with I had read the
letter’
PPP in the abl + abl subject
