How To Translate Latin

Concept Formula Latin Example English Notes

TENSES
Present Tense He VERBs Amat He loves / He is loving
He is VERBing

Perfect Tense He VERBed Amavit He loved

Pluperfect Tense He had VERBed Amaverat He had loved Occurs prior to the perfect
tense.

Imperfect Tense He was VERBing Amabat He was loving / He loved

He VERBed (over a period of time)

Future Tense He will VERB Amabit He shall / will love

Future Perfect Tense He will have VERBed Amaverit He shall / will have loved Can also be used for
commands in 2nd person

PARTICIPLES
Present Active Participle The VERBing NOUN canis currens The running dog Present Active Participles are
The NOUN that VERBs The dog that runs the source of many English
nouns ending in -(e)nt, such
as agent or attendant

Perfect Active Participle Having VERBed, Milites domum ingressi The soldiers, having Only made out of deponent
entered the house... verbs

Perfect Passive Participle The (having-been-)VERBed vir interfectus The (having-been-)killed Perfect Passive Participles
NOUN man are the source of many
English adjectives ending in-
ct, and -st just
as perfect and defunct, and
manifest, and
Future Active Participle The about-to-VERB NOUN Puella moritura The girl-to-die Can be used to show purpose
The in-order-to-VERB NOUN Machina fabricata inspectura The machine (made in
order to) spy

Future Passive Participle The to-be-VERBed NOUN Puer amandus The boy-to-be-loved Future Passive Participles are
/ Gerundive Fabula legenda The story-to-be-loved the the source of many
English words and names e.g.
agenda, memoranda, legend,
Miranda, Amanda

GERUND(IVE)S
Gerundive (Adjective) The (to-be-)VERBed noun Puer amandus The boy-to-be-loved Gerundives are rare in
Fabula legenda The story-to-be-read English and less powerful.
Examples include: punching
bag, throwing stars, drinking
water, and punchcard

Passive Periphrastic The NOMINATIVE NOUN must Urbs delenda est nobis The city must be destroyed The dative noun is known as
be VERBed by DATIVE by us / We must destroy a Dative of Agent. Normally
(PRO)NOUN the city the Ablative case is used to
express agency

Gerundive of Obligation (The) DATIVE (PRO)NOUN must Mihi fugiendum est It is to be fled by me / I
VERB Nunc est bibendum nobis must flee
Now it is to be drunk by us
/ Now we must drink

Gerund (Noun) (The act of) VERBing Amo Legendum I love reading
Necessitas parendi The necessity of obeying

Gerunds for Purpose For VERBing / In order to VERB copia ad navigandum supplies for sailing

CASES
Partitive Genitive Part of the whole unus virorum one of the men
One / some / none of the group satis vini enough (of) wine

Genitive of Characteristic A NOUN of ABSTRACT NOUN Vir magnae dignitatis Man of great dignity
Accusative of
Exclamation
Accusative Duration of I VERBed for TIME NOUNS
Space / Time He VERBED for / through / over
SPACE NOUNS
Accusative of Respect something to / with respect to
the ACCUSATIVE NOUN
Dative of Possession
Ablative of Means / Something gets verbed with a
Instrument TOOL or OBJECT
Ablative of Agent Something gets verbed by an
AGENT
Ablative of Respect Something is ADJECTIVE with
respect to NOUN
Ablative of Separation Something gets physically
VERBed out of / from something
else
Accompaniment A NOUN does something with
(cum) another NOUN
Manner Something happens with an
ABSTRACT NOUN
Laboravi per tres horas
Curccurit per multas terras
oculos suffecti sanguine et igni
Haec erunt vobis praemia praeclara
Sunt mihi bis septem nymphae
Gaius interfecit eum gladio
Porci a militibus interficantur
Maior natu
Pulcherrima forma
Eripio filiam matre
Ego festino ad forum cum servis
Puella cenat cum familia sua
Curro celeritate
Ambulabat magna dignitate
Me amant benignitate
I worked for three hours
He ran over many lands
Soaked to the eyes with
blood and fire
These will be outstanding
gifts to you / These will be
your outstanding gifts
There are to me twice
seven nymphs /
I have twice seven nymphs
Gaius killed him with a
sword
The pigs are killed by the
soldiers
Greater with respect
to birth (i.e. older)
Very beautiful with
respect to appearance
I snatch the
daughter from the mother
I hurry to the
forum with the slave
The girl dines with her
family
I run with speed
He was walking with great
dignity

Ablative Absolute With the NOUN having been
VERBed…
When the NOUN had been
VERBed
When the NOUN (being)
ADJECTIVE...
SUBSTANTIVES
Substantive Adjectives The ADJECTIVE (thing,
guy,person, people)
Substantive Participles The PARTICIPLE (thing, guy,
people)
VOICE / MOOD
Indicative Active The NOUN VERBs / Is VERBing
He VERBS
Indicative Passive The NOUN is VERBed
They love me with kindness
His verbis dictis… With these words having
Omnibus silentibus... been said…
When these words were
said...
With everyone being
silent…
When everyone was
silent….
Boni Good (people) English examples include: An
Socii Friendly (people, i.e. allies) *official* from the
Dulcia Sweet (things, i.e. sweets) government, an ice cream
*social*, or *goods* and
services.
Canentes Singing (people)
Venientium Of the approaching (ones)
Moritura Girl-to-die / girl-who-will-
Interfectus die
The (having-been-)killed
(guy)
Canis latrat The dog barks / The dog is
barking
Canis amatur The dog is loved Passive voice is used either to
avoid specifying the subjec
e.g. "mistakes were made" or
when the subject is unknown
or doesn't matter "Dragons
are said to sleep with one eye
open."
Subjunctive Active The NOUN Puella eum audiat The girl might hear him
may/could/should/might VERB

Subjunctive Passive The NOUN may, might, could, Haec urbs capiatur This city could be captured
ought to be VERBed

Impersonal Passives They VERBed Pugnatum est It was fought / They fought
Dicitur It is said / They say
Fletur It is wept / They weep
Itur It is go'd / They went

Imperative / Direct Verb! Tacite! Be quiet (y'all)!

Command Fer mihi caput bovis Bring me the head of a cow!
Noli timere, Lucia Do not fear, Lucy.

INDIRECT
STATEMENT
Direct Statement The NOUN VERBs Canis dormit in via The dog sleeps in the street
Rex beatus est The king is blessed

Indirect Statement VERB OF THE HEAD + Cogo canem dormire in via I know (that) the dog sleeps
ACCUSATIVE SUBJECT + Rex credit se beatus esse in the street
INFINITIVE The king believes (that) he
is blessed

SUBJUNCTIVES
Optative I would/should like/prefer to Navigem I would like to sail
VERB

Deliberative What should we VERB? Quid faciamus? What should we do?

Ought we VERB?

Purpose ut (ne) + Subjunctive Verb commoratus, ut ad omnis casus He delayed in order to

subsidia compararet gather supplies for all
eventualities

Anticipatory DUM + Subjunctive Verb Dum Romam conderet Until he could found Rome Usually dum means 'while'
Indirect Question Verb of the Head + Question speciem tamen doloris praebuit et quae He displayed an
word + Subjunctive causa esset mortis quaesivit. appearance of pain
and asked what might
be the cause of death

Indirect Command Commanding verb + ut/ne + monuit tamen Peliam ut si quis unum He however warned Pelias Indirect commands can
Subjunctive calceum gerens veniret, eum caveret. that if someone should include commands, but also
come wearing one requests, warnings, advice,
sandal, he should instructions, pleas and
beware of him. begging.

Cum Clause - Temporal When he had VERBed Noctu igitur Iasonem ex urbe By night they stole Jason
abstulerunt, et cum postero die ad out of the city, and when on
regem rediissent the next day they had
returned to the king

Cum Clause - Causal Since / Because he had VERBed Iason igitur cum calceum amissum Jason, therefore, since he
nullo modo recipere posset was in no way able to
recover the lost sandal

Cum Clause - Concessive Although he had VERBed Illi They, although they
autem cum bene intellegerent dolorem well understood his pain
eius falsum esse was false

Relative Clause of Commanding Verb + Relative amicum quendam Delphos He sent a certain friend to
Purpose Pronoun + Subjunctive misit, qui oraculum consuleret. Delphi in order to
consult the oracle

Result Clause Tantus/a/um, tam, talis + ut + tantam diligentiam adhibebat ut He exhibited such
Subjunctive verb ne nocturnum quidem tempus ad great diligence that he did
laborem intermitteret. not even neglect nighttime
for work.

Fear Clause Verb of Fearing + ne + Post breve tempus Pelias, veritus After a brief time Pelias,
Subjunctive verb ne regnum suum tanta vi et fraude fearing lest he might
occupatum amitteret, lose his kingdom (seized
through such force and
fraud)

PRONOUNS
Relative
Pronoun qui/quae/quod

Demonstrative
Pronoun hic/haec/hoc

Demonstrative
Pronoun Ille/illa/illud

CETERA
Supine ADVERB to VERB! (4th p part Mirabile dictu! Wonderful to say!
declined as an ablative OR Horribile visu! Horrible to see!
accusative 4th declension noun) Cohortes frumentatum...misit He sends cohorts to gather
grain