singular and plural

singular and plural

We are going to talk about the difference between singular and plural nouns and verbs in Latin

Look at the following pairs of sentences

puella ad Circum festīnat.

A girl hurries to the Circus.

puellae ad Circum festīnant.

The girls hurry to the Circus.

Another example

amīcus Sabīnam salūtat.

A friend greets Sabina.

amīcī Iūliam salūtant.

The friends greet Julia.

and one more...

fūr labōrat.

A thief is working.

fūrēs labōrant.

The thieves are working.

It's all about the endings.

In Latin, the endings of both the nominative noun and the verb indicate whether one person or more than one person is carrying out an action.

If one person is doing something, Latin uses the nominative singular (puella, amīcus, fūr). If more than one person is doing something, Latin uses the nominative plural (puellae, amīcī, fūrēs).

Look at the nominative singular and plural endings...

first declension

puella

puellae

Look at the nominative singular and plural endings...

second declension

amicus

amici

Look at the nominative singular and plural endings...

third declension

fur

fures

Multiple Choice

Make VIA plural

• viae

• vies

• vii

Multiple Choice

Make SERVUS plural

• servae

• servi

• serves

Multiple Choice

Make IMPERATOR plural:

• imperatorae

• imperatori

• imperatores

Verbs change their endings too

Notice that the -nt ending of the verb also indicates that more than one person is carrying out the action:

puellae festīnant.

The girls are hurrying.

iuvenēs clāmant.

The young people are shouting.

frātrēs bibunt.

The brothers are drinking.

Multiple Select

Check all the PLURAL verbs:

• ambulant

• currit

• sedet

• portant

• cadunt

Multiple Choice

How would I say in Latin THEY ENTER?

• intrat

• intrant

Multiple Choice

How would I say in Latin THE GIRLS RUN?

• puella currit

• puellae currunt

• puella currunt

• puellae currit

Multiple Choice

How would I say in Latin THE SENATORS APPLAUD?

• senator plaudit.

• senatores plaudit.

• senator plaudunt.

• senatores plaudunt.

One more note:

Note the use of sunt in the following sentences.

amīcī nōn sunt laetī.

The friends are not happy.

senēs sunt in popinā.

The old men are in the bar.

Multiple Choice

Choose the best translation of this sentence:

Veterani in via sunt.

• The veteran is in the street.

• The veterans are in the street.

Multiple Choice

Choose the best translation of this sentence:

Senator in curia est.

• The senator is in the Senate House.

• The senators are in the Senate House.

Multiple Choice

Choose the best translation of this sentence:

Equi in Circo currunt.

• The horse is running in the Circus.

• The horses are running in the Circus.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct form of the nominative (singular or plural) to agree with the verb:

________ volitat.

• psittacus

• psittaci

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct form of the nominative (singular or plural) to agree with the verb:

________ bibunt.

• frater

• fratres

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct form of the nominative (singular or plural) to agree with the verb:

________ pecuniam habet.

• pater

• patres

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct form of the nominative (singular or plural) to agree with the verb:

________ equos spectant.

• matrona

• matronae