3rd, 4th, and 5th Declension Nouns
We will now complete the table of nouns with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th declensions. These declensions are more difficult to work with because their nominative and accusative plural forms are identical, as are their dative and ablative plural forms. To distinguish the cases, you must use a very simple key: context. Context will tell you the meaning.
3rd Declension Masculine or Feminine (each word has a set gender): rēx, m.
3rd declension nouns have two stems: The nominative and vocative singular stem and the stem used for all other cases. Both stems have to be memorized for each noun. Feminine and masculine forms are indistinguishable.
| 3rd Declension | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | rēx | rēg-ēs |
| accusative | rēg-em | rēg-ēs |
| genitive | rēg-is | rēg-um |
| dative | rēg-ī | rēg-ibus |
| ablative | rēg-e | rēg-ibus |
3rd Declension Neuter i-stem: mare
| 3rd Declension Neuter | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative* | mare | mar-ia |
| genitive | mar-is | mar-ium |
| dative | mar-ī | mar-ibus |
| accusative | mare | mar-ia |
| ablative | mar-ī | mar-ibus |
4th Declension Masculine/Feminine (each word has a set gender) gradus, m.
| 4th Declension | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | grad-us | grad-ūs |
| accusative | grad-um | grad-ūs |
| genitive | grad-ūs | grad-uum |
| dative | grad-uī | grad-ibus |
| ablative | grad-ū | grad-ibus |
4th Declension Neuter: cornū
| 4th Declension Neuter | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | corn-ū | corn-ua |
| vocative | corn-ū | corn-ua |
| accusative | corn-ū | corn-ua |
| genitive | corn-ūs | corn-uum |
| dative | corn-ū | corn-ibus |
| ablative | corn-ū | corn-ibus |
5th Declension Masculine/Feminine (each word has a set gender; most are feminine): rēs, f.
| 5th Declension Feminine/Masculine | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | r-ēs | r-ēs |
| vocative | r-ēs | r-ēs |
| accusative | r-ēm | r-ēs |
| genitive | r-ēī | r-ērum |
| dative | r-ēī | r-ēbus |
| ablative | r-ē | r-ēbus |
Exercises
Exercise 1
Translate the following:
Hodiē militēs ad villam meī amīcī mittō. Meō amicō, Marcō Tulliō nomine, mē in Senatū maledicere placet, quā rē istum interficere volō.
Vocabulary:
- villa -ae f., farmhouse
- mittō mittere mīsī missus, to send
- nomen nominis n., name
- maledicō -dicere -dīxī -dictum, to insult
- placet placēre placuit placitus + dative, it pleases
- quā rē, on account of which
- iste ista istud, that damn (man/woman/thing)
- interficiō -ficere -fēcī -fectus, to kill
- volō velle voluī --, to want
- For extra credit, who in the late Republic might have said such a thing?
Exercise 2
Translate the following:
Eheu! Mūs meum pānem mandit. Nunc nihil habeō. Me miserum!
Vocabulary:
- mando mandere mansi mansus, to chew on