A Review of the Basic Forms of the Five Declensions of the Latin Noun

The Latin noun has developed historically in accordance with five basic patterns of formation. Each of
these patterns is called a declension. All nouns exhibiting a similar, distinguishing pattern of formation are said
to belong to one same declension. This means that all of the nouns in the same declension will decline in the
same way, that the case-forms for all the nouns falling within a given declension will be the same.
Broadly speaking, the several declensions are distinguished on the basis of the vowel that is attached at
the end of the word-stem and becomes, in effect, the first letter of the case-ending. Each of the five declensions is
characterized by one of the five principal vowels. The first declension is the a-declension, the second the o-
declension, the third the i-declension, the fourth the u-declension, and the fifth the e-declension. These
characteristic vowels figure prominently in the stem of each noun in the given declension, although historical
developments have resulted in the disappearance or alteration of the characteristic vowel in some cases.
The characteristic vowel for the first declension is a, for example, but the dative and ablative plural forms
in the first declension are –īs in Classical Latin, with no a being visible. Nonetheless, in an older stratum of the
language, the ending had been –āis, and the a subsequently fell away as the word evidently began to be
pronounced differently. In the second declension, the characteristic vowel is o, but in Classical Latin the second
declension exhibits many u’s instead. Changes in pronunciation resulted in the original o’s being replaced by u’s
in order to reflect the change in sound. In the chart below, notice the difference between the patterns of the first
and second declensions in Classical Latin and in the older stratum of the language: the older forms exhibit the
characteristic vowel throughout both declensions, except in the genitive singular of the second declension.
Case Classical Latin 1st Declension Older Latin 1st Declension Classical Latin 2nd Declension Older Latin 2nd Declension

Singular N puella puellā servus servos

G puellae puellās servī serveī
D puellae puellāi servō servōi
Ac puellam puellām servum servom
Ab puellā puellād servō servōd
Plural N puellae puellāi servī servoi
G puellārum puellāsom servōrum servom
D puellīs puellāis servīs servōis
Ac puellās puellāns servōs servōns
Ab puellīs puellāis servīs servōis
Pages two through six lay out the basic forms of the five Classical Latin declensions. We provide one
typical example for each declension, omitting neuter forms. Page seven summarizes the five declensions on a
single page, allowing a full overview. Page eight does the same, but arranges the declensions in adjacent
columns in order to permit close study of case-patterns across the five declensions. Pages nine through eleven
delineate a number of formal characteristics of the five declensions that may help you to learn to recognize and
use them more readily. Study each declension in turn by thoughtfully reviewing each pattern periodically until
you know each one by heart—by heart, not by rote. Regular, thoughtful, heartfelt review is preferable to cold,
dutiful memorization and much deeper and more lasting in its effect. On a regular basis, review each declension
in several ways: reading it silently to yourself, reading it aloud to yourself, writing it out neatly and accurately.
Quiz yourself orally, both silently and aloud, and in writing, until you know all five declensions confidently.
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 The Basic Form of the First Declension Noun: A-declension

Stem puellă- (girl)

Case-ending
Number Case Form Base with stem-vowel

Singular Nominative puella puell – a

Genitive puellae puell – ae

Dative puellae puell – ae

Accusative puellam puell – am

Ablative puellā puell – ā

Vocative puella puell – a

Plural Nominative puellae puell – ae

Genitive puellārum puell – ārum

Dative puellīs puell – īs

Accusative puellās puell – ās

Ablative puellīs puell – īs

Vocative puellae puell – ae

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 The Basic Form of the Second Declension Noun: O-declension

Stem servŏ- (slave)

Case-ending
Number Case Form Base with stem-vowel

Singular Nominative servus serv – us

Genitive servī serv – ī

Dative servō serv – ō

Accusative servum serv – um

Ablative servō serv – ō

Vocative serve serv – e

Plural Nominative servī serv – ī

Genitive servōrum serv – ōrum

Dative servīs serv – īs

Accusative servōs serv – ōs

Ablative servīs serv – īs

Vocative servī serv – ī

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 The Basic Form of the Third Declension Noun: I-declension

Stem leōn- (lion)

Case-ending
Number Case Form Base with stem-vowel

Singular Nominative leō leo ---

Genitive leōnis leōn – is

Dative leōnī leōn – ī

Accusative leōnem leōn – em

Ablative leōne leōn – e

Vocative leō leō ---

Plural Nominative leōnēs leōn – ēs

Genitive leōnum leōn – um

Dative leōnibus leōn – ibus

Accusative leōnēs leōn – ēs

Ablative leōnibus leōn – ibus

Vocative leōnēs leōn – ēs

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 The Basic Form of the Fourth Declension Noun: U-declension

Stem portŭ- (harbour)

Case-ending
Number Case Form Base with stem-vowel

Singular Nominative portus port – us

Genitive portūs port – ūs

Dative portuī port – uī

Accusative portum port – um

Ablative portū port – ū

Vocative portus port – us

Plural Nominative portūs port – ūs

Genitive portuum port – uum

Dative portibus port – ibus

Accusative portūs port – ūs

Ablative portibus port – ibus

Vocative portūs port – ūs

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 The Basic Form of the Fifth Declension Noun: E-declension

Stem rē- (thing)

Case-ending
Number Case Form Base with stem-vowel

Singular Nominative rēs r – ēs

Genitive rēī r – ēī

Dative rēī r – ēī

Accusative rem r – em

Ablative rē̄ r–ē

Vocative rēs r – ēs

Plural Nominative rēs r – ēs

Genitive rērum r – ērum

Dative rēbus r – ēbus

Accusative rēs r – ēs

Ablative rēbus r – ēbus

Vocative rēs r – ēs

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Summary 1: Basic Forms of the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Declension Noun
FIRST DECLENSION puella, -ae (f.) girl
Case Singular Form Case-ending Plural Form Case-ending
Nominative puella -a puellae -ae
Genitive puellae -ae puellārum -ārum
Dative puellae -ae puellīs -īs
Accusative puellam -am puellās -ās
Ablative puellā -ā puellīs -īs
Vocative puella -a puellae -ae
SECOND DECLENSION servus, -ī (m.) slave
Case Singular Form Case-ending Plural Form Case-ending
Nominative servus -us servī -ī
Genitive servī -ī servōrum -ōrum
Dative servō -ō servīs -īs
Accusative servum -um servōs -ōs
Ablative servō -ō̄ servīs -īs
Vocative servus -us servī -ī
THIRD DECLENSION leō, -is (m.) lion
Case Singular Form Case-ending Plural Form Case-ending
Nominative leō --- leonēs -ēs
Genitive leōnis -is leōnum -um
Dative leōnī -ī leōnibus -ibus
Accusative leonem -em leōnēs -ēs
Ablative leone -e leōnibus -ibus
Vocative leō --- leōnēs -ēs
FOURTH DECLENSION portus, -ūs (m.) harbour
Case Singular Form Case-ending Plural Form Case-ending
Nominative portus -u portūs -ūs
Genitive portūs -ūs portuum -uum
Dative portuī -uī portibus -ibus
Accusative portum -um portūs -ūs
Ablative portū -ū portibus -ibus
Vocative portus -us portūs -ūs
FIFTH DECLENSION rēs, -ēī (f.) thing
Case Singular Form Case-ending Plural Form Case-ending
Nominative rēs -ēs rēs -ēs
Genitive rēī -ēī rērum -ērum
Dative rēī -ēī rēbus -ēbus
Accusative rem -em rēs -ēs
Ablative rē -ē rēbus -ēbus
Vocative rēs -ēs rēs -ēbus

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 Summary 2: Basic Forms of the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Declension Noun  
Case   1st Declension 2nd Declension 3rd Declension 4th Declension 5th Declension
puella, -ae (f.) girl   servus, -ī (m.) slave   leō, -is (m.) lion   portus, -ūs (m.) harbour   rēs, -ēī (f.) thing  

Singular

Nominative puella servus leō portus rēs

Genitive puellae servī leōnis portūs rēī

Dative puellae servō leōnī portuī rēī

Accusative puellam servum leōnem portum rem

Ablative puellā servō leōne portū rē

Vocative puella serve leō portus rēs

Plural

Nominative puellae servī leōnēs portūs rēs

Genitive puellārum servōrum leōnum portuum rērum

Dative puellīs servīs leōnibus portibus rēbus

Accusative puellās servōs leōnēs portūs rēs

Ablative puellīs servīs leōnibus portibus rēbus

Vocative puellae servī leōnēs portūs rēs

 
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 Several Formal Characteristics to Take Note of in Learning the
Forms of the Five Declensions of the Latin Noun

1. In order to interpret a Latin noun or adjective and its role in a sentence, you must
first determine its case; and in order to do that, you must know which declension the
noun in question belongs to.

2. Broadly speaking, an -a- in the case-ending of a noun is a sign of the first

declension, -o-/-u- is a sign of the second, -i-/-e- of the third, -u- of the fourth, and -e- is
a sign of he fifth declension.

3. Masculine or feminine nouns of the first (-a-), second (-us), fourth (-us), and fifth
(-ēs) declensions, exhibit fixed, invariable forms in the nominative singular and
elsewhere.

4. The third declension exbibits a much broader range of forms in the nominative
singular.

5. At least where masculine and feminine words are concerned, you may safely
conclude, therefore, that if the nominative singular does not correspond with any of the
four fixed patterns noted in item 3, above, then the word must belong to the third
declension. As you will see, words of neuter gender complicate this rule of thumb
somewhat. It can serve only as a rough, preliminary guideline.

6. You may not conclude, however, that if the word does exhibit the characteristic
nominative singular ending of one of the four fixed nominative singular declensional
patterns then it necessarily belongs to that declension. There are, for example, third-
declension words ending in –ēs, such as fēlēs (cat), which might tempt one to suppose
that it were of the fifth declension. Similarly, there are third-declension neuter words
ending in –us, such as tempus (time), which one might hastily conclude were of the
second or the fourth declension.

7. Moreover, you will have noticed immediately that the nominative singular of both
the second and the fourth declensions, whether masculine or feminine, is the same (-us),
so that on that basis one might easily confuse words of those declensions.

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8. A sure and unmistakable sign of the declension to which a noun belongs,
however, may be found in the genitive singular form of the word. Its genitive
singular form is unique to each of the five declensions and is therefore distinctive of
the given declension, and it is the same for all words belonging to the given
declension, regardless of their gender.

9. For this reason, glossaries and dictionaries always list a noun with its nominative
singular form followed by its genitive singular form; and for this reason, if you are not
sure to which gender a particular noun belongs, you must look it up in a dictionary or in
the glossary at the rear of your textbook. As an example of how important the
determination of the declension can be, consider that there is a considerable difference
between the significance of the accusative case, singular, and the genitive case, plural.
Observe also that both the accusative singular of the second declension (as well as that of
the fourth declension) and the genitive plural of the third declension (as well as that of
the first, second, fourth, and fifth declensions) end with the letters –um. One might
pound one’s brain in vain for quite some time trying to interpret a sentence that included
the word leonum (third declension, genitive, plural), if one persisted in assuming that the
word belonged to the second (or fourth) declension and were an accusative singular. You
may save yourself such frustration by using the glossary or a dictionary. This is also a
good way to broaden and deepen your vocabulary and your understanding of meaning.
When you look a word up in the glossary, notice the full range of details provided
concerning its form and meaning. You might even explore other words of related form
and meaning situated nearby.

10. Notice, therefore, that the genitive singular for each of the five declensions is
unique and distinct, as demonstrated below.
First Declension: -ae
Second Declension: -ī
Third Declension: -is
Fourth Declension: -ūs
Fifth Declension: -ēī

11. Notice that all datives singular end with a long vowel sound: -ae, -ō, -ī, -uī, -ēī.

12. Notice that all accusatives singular (for nouns of masculine and feminine
gender), end with an m preceded by a vowel, characteristic of the given declension, and
always short: -am, -um, -em, -um, -em. Notice, however, that both the second and

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fourth (-um) and the third and fifth (–em) declensions are subject to confusion in the
accusative singular.

13. Notice that all ablatives singular end with a single vowel, always a vowel
characteristic of the given declension, and always a long vowel, except in the third
declension, whose vowel is short: -ā, -ō, -e, -ū, -ē.

14. Notice that all nominatives plural end either with a long vowel sound or a long
vowel sound plus an –s: -ae, -ī, ēs, -ūs, -ēs. Notice that the third and fifth declension
endings are the same in the nominative plural (-ēs).

15. Notice that all genitives plural end with –um, but that in all but the third
declension the –um is preceded by additional letters: -ārum, -ōrum, -um, -uum, -ērum.

16. Notice that all datives plural and all ablatives plural, except those of the fifth
declension, involve the letters i and s in their ending, although in the third and fourth
declensions a -bu- falls between the i and the s, and that the -bu- also appears in the fifth
to mark the ablatives and datives plural, despite the disappearance of the i: -īs, -īs, -ibus,
-ibus, -ēbus.

17. Notice that just as the accusatives singular, masculine and feminine, always end
with an m preceded by a characteristic vowel, so the accusatives plural of those genders
always end with an s preceded by a characteristic vowel, always a long vowel: -ās, -ōs,
-ēs, -ūs, -ēs. Notice, therefore, that (as far as you need to be concerned for the time
being) the ending of an accusative plural will always consist in an s preceded by a vowel
other than an ī; so that –īs will never be accusative, but always dative or ablative plural.
Notice, finally, that, as in the nominatives, so in the accusatives plural, the third and fifth
declension forms are the same (-ēs).

18. Notice that a final –s often, although not always, indicates that the word is plural.
There is therefore a considerable probability, albeit not a necessity or a certainty, that a
noun ending in –s will prove to be plural. You must therefore consider the possibility
that it is plural but not leap to that conclusion. You must test the matter more closely.

19. Notice that with the exception of the singular of the second declension masculine
in -us, the ending of the vocative is always the same as that of the nominative form, both
singular and plural.

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