Latin Reference — Vol. II: All Five Declensions, Worked
The "one noun, all cases" drill extended across the declensions. Read each noun shifting through its sentence contexts; the endings carry the meaning.
Second declension (m.) — amīcus, friend
| Case | Form | Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom | amīcus | Amīcus meus venit. | My friend is coming. |
| Gen | amīcī | Vīlla amīcī magna est. | My friend's house is large. |
| Dat | amīcō | Amīcō epistulam mittō. | I send a letter to my friend. |
| Acc | amīcum | Amīcum in forō videō. | I see my friend in the forum. |
| Abl | amīcō | Cum amīcō cēnō. | I dine with my friend. |
| Voc | amīce | Salvē, amīce! | Hello, friend! |
Second declension (n.) — templum, temple
| Case | Form | Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom | templum | Templum in colle stat. | The temple stands on the hill. |
| Gen | templī | Porta templī aperta est. | The temple's door is open. |
| Dat | templō | Templō dōna ferimus. | We bring gifts to the temple. |
| Acc | templum | Templum aedificant. | They are building a temple. |
| Abl | templō | Ē templō exit. | He goes out of the temple. |
Third declension (m.) — mīles, mīlitis, soldier
| Case | Form | Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom | mīles | Mīles in viā stat. | The soldier stands in the road. |
| Gen | mīlitis | Gladius mīlitis longus est. | The soldier's sword is long. |
| Dat | mīlitī | Mīlitī aquam dō. | I give water to the soldier. |
| Acc | mīlitem | Rēx mīlitem laudat. | The king praises the soldier. |
| Abl | mīlite | Sine mīlite iter perīculōsum est. | Without the soldier the journey is dangerous. |
Third declension (f.) — māter, mātris, mother
| Case | Form | Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom | māter | Māter fīliam vocat. | The mother calls her daughter. |
| Gen | mātris | Vōx mātris dulcis est. | The mother's voice is sweet. |
| Dat | mātrī | Mātrī flōrēs dat. | He gives flowers to his mother. |
| Acc | mātrem | Mātrem amō. | I love my mother. |
| Abl | mātre | Ā mātre discēdit. | He departs from his mother. |
Third declension (n.) — flūmen, flūminis, river
| Case | Form | Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom | flūmen | Flūmen ad mare fluit. | The river flows to the sea. |
| Gen | flūminis | Aqua flūminis frīgida est. | The river's water is cold. |
| Dat | flūminī | Flūminī nōmen antīquum est. | The river has an ancient name. |
| Acc | flūmen | Flūmen trānsīmus. | We cross the river. |
| Abl | flūmine | In flūmine piscēs sunt. | There are fish in the river. |
Fourth declension (m.) — exercitus, army
Endings:
| Case | Sing. | Pl. |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | -us | -ūs |
| Gen | -ūs | -uum |
| Dat | -uī | -ibus |
| Acc | -um | -ūs |
| Abl | -ū | -ibus |
| Case | Form | Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom | exercitus | Exercitus castra pōnit. | The army pitches camp. |
| Gen | exercitūs | Dux exercitūs fortis est. | The army's leader is brave. |
| Dat | exercituī | Exercituī cibum mittunt. | They send food to the army. |
| Acc | exercitum | Hostēs exercitum timent. | The enemy fear the army. |
| Abl | exercitū | Cum exercitū prōcēdit. | He advances with the army. |
Beware lookalikes: fourth declension -us nouns resemble second declension in the nominative but diverge everywhere else — the genitive (-ūs vs -ī) tells them apart.
Fifth declension (f.) — diēs, day
Endings:
| Case | Sing. | Pl. |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | -ēs | -ēs |
| Gen | -ēī / -eī | -ērum |
| Dat | -ēī / -eī | -ēbus |
| Acc | -em | -ēs |
| Abl | -ē | -ēbus |
| Case | Form | Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom | diēs | Diēs longus est. | The day is long. |
| Gen | diēī | Lūx diēī clāra est. | The light of day is bright. |
| Dat | diēī | Diēī fīnem exspectāmus. | We await the day's end. |
| Acc | diem | Tōtum diem labōrat. | He works the whole day. |
| Abl | diē | Eō diē discessit. | He departed on that day. |
Fourth and fifth declensions are small clubs — a handful of common members (manus, domus, rēs, diēs, fidēs) cover most of what you'll meet in the wild.