Case Functions
| Case | Function | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Subject | Who/What? | Puella vocat (The girl calls) |
| Genitive | Possession | Whose? Of what? | vita puellae (life of the girl) |
| Dative | Indirect Object | To/For whom? | Do puellae (I give to the girl) |
| Accusative | Direct Object | Whom/What? | Video puellam (I see the girl) |
| Ablative | Various (by/with/from) | How/Where? | cum puellā (with the girl) |
| Vocative | Address | (calling someone) | O puella! (O girl!) |
1st Declension (-a stems)
1st Declension Endings
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NOMNominative | -a | -ae |
| GENGenitive | -ae | -ārum |
| DATDative | -ae | -īs |
| ACCAccusative | -am | -ās |
| ABLAblative | -ā | -īs |
| VOCVocative | -a | -ae |
Rule of Thumb
Most nouns in the first declension are feminine. Exceptions include traditionally male roles like nauta (sailor), poēta (poet), and agricola (farmer).
Example: puella, -ae (girl)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | puella | puellae |
| Gen | puellae | puellārum |
| Dat | puellae | puellīs |
| Acc | puellam | puellās |
| Abl | puellā | puellīs |
| Voc | puella | puellae |
2nd Declension Masculine (-us stems)
2nd Declension Masc Endings
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NOMNominative | -us | -ī |
| GENGenitive | -ī | -ōrum |
| DATDative | -ō | -īs |
| ACCAccusative | -um | -ōs |
| ABLAblative | -ō | -īs |
| VOCVocative | -e | -ī |
Example: amīcus, -ī (friend)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | amīcus | amīcī |
| Gen | amīcī | amīcōrum |
| Dat | amīcō | amīcīs |
| Acc | amīcum | amīcōs |
| Abl | amīcō | amīcīs |
| Voc | amīce | amīcī |
2nd Declension Neuter (-um stems)
2nd Declension Neuter Endings
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NOMNominative | -um | -a |
| GENGenitive | -ī | -ōrum |
| DATDative | -ō | -īs |
| ACCAccusative | -um | -a |
| ABLAblative | -ō | -īs |
| VOCVocative | -um | -a |
The Neuter Rule
For all neuter nouns in Latin: 1. The Nominative and Accusative are always identical. 2. In the plural, they always end in -a.
Example: dōnum, -ī (gift)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | dōnum | dōna |
| Gen | dōnī | dōnōrum |
| Dat | dōnō | dōnīs |
| Acc | dōnum | dōna |
| Abl | dōnō | dōnīs |
| Voc | dōnum | dōna |
3rd Declension i-Stem (M/F)
3rd Declension i-Stem Endings
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NOMNominative | — | -ēs |
| GENGenitive | -is | -ium |
| DATDative | -ī | -ibus |
| ACCAccusative | -em | -ēs |
| ABLAblative | -e | -ibus |
| VOCVocative | — | -ēs |
i-Stem Rules (M/F)
Most 3rd declension nouns use -um in the genitive plural. i-stems use -ium.
- Monosyllabic nouns with two consonants at the end of the stem (e.g., fōns, font-is; urbs, urb-is).
- Parisyllabic nouns with the same number of syllables in the Nom. and Gen. (e.g., cīvis, cīvis).
Example: fōns, fontis, m. (fountain)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | fōns | fontēs |
| Gen | fontis | fontium |
| Dat | fontī | fontibus |
| Acc | fontem | fontēs |
| Abl | fonte | fontibus |
| Voc | fōns | fontēs |