Latin Declension Quizzes

One of largest hurtles for those beginning to learning Latin is memorizing the many declensions (i.e word endings) of Latin. There is no way to get aground learning these declensions to make progress in the language, and the Dowling Method recommends memorizing all the declension forms before attempting to read Latin passages. The quizzes listed below aims at helping the memorization process by providing quizzes for common forms of nouns, adjectives, and pronouns.

These quizzes are based on the declination tables at the back of Wheelock's Lain by Frederic M. Wheelock. Please email me at mail@joshualiu.org for any suggestions, corrections, or concerns.

Understanding Latin Grammar

In English, word order determines grammatical function. Example:

The teacher gives a book to the student.

Here, the verb is "gives" (the action word). The roles of the other words are:

Reversing word order changes meaning:

The student gives a book to the teacher.

Here, "the student" is the subject, and "the teacher" is the indirect object. In English, word order is critical to meaning.

How Latin Differs

In Latin, word forms, not order, show grammatical function. Example:

Magister dat librum discipulo.

Translation: "The teacher gives a book to the student."

Here, the forms indicate roles:

In Latin, the same meaning holds even if word order changes:

Librum discipulo magister dat.

Dat discipulo magister librum.

This flexibility is due to Latin's use of cases, which show grammatical roles through word forms.

The Importance of Cases

To study Latin, you must understand noun cases. These forms indicate whether a noun is the subject, object, or shows possession, among other roles. For example:

Magister dat librum discipulo.

The forms of magister, librum, and discipulo reveal their grammatical roles.

Mastering Latin cases is essential for understanding how nouns and adjectives function in sentences.

The Nominative Case

The nominative case indicates the subject of the verb. Example:

Magister dat librum discipulo.

"Magister" is in the nominative case, showing that the teacher is the one performing the action. Nouns in Latin also have singular and plural forms:

Understanding Accusative and Dative Cases

Magister dat librum discipulo.
Magistri dant libros discipulis.

Here are some more things you can say about the two sentences above:

  1. In the first sentence, "librum" is in the accusative singular.
  2. In the second sentence, "libros" is in the accusative plural.
  3. In the first sentence, "discipulo" is in the dative singular.
  4. In the second sentence, "discipulis" is in the dative plural.

Do you see what's going on here? The accusative is the Latin case that shows a noun is the direct object of the verb. (The books are the "things being given" in these sentences.)

The dative is the Latin case that shows a noun is the indirect object of the verb. (The students are the ones "to whom the books are being given" in both sentences.)

The accusative singular shows that only one book is being given. The dative singular shows that only one student is getting or receiving the book. The accusative plural shows that two or more books are being given. The dative plural shows that two or more students are getting the books.

When you get farther along with Latin, you'll learn that cases like the Accusative and the Dative have other uses as well, but these are the ones you want to start with.

The Genitive Case

The genitive case shows possession. Example:

Liber magistri magnus est. ("The teacher's book is large.")

Here, "magistri" is in the genitive case, indicating that the book belongs to the teacher.

The Ablative Case

The ablative case often expresses relationships like location, instrument, or separation. Example:

Magister librum in mensa ponit. ("The teacher puts the book on the table.")

The ablative case "mensa" is used here to indicate location (on the table).

Adjective Cases

Adjectives in Latin must agree with the nouns they modify in case, number, and gender. Examples:

Verb Tense

Verb tense indicates the time of the action. Examples:

Verb Mood

Moods indicate the "condition" of the action. The two major moods in Latin are:

Verb Voice

Verb voice indicates whether the subject performs or receives the action. Examples:

Deponent Verbs

Deponent verbs have passive forms but active meanings. Example:

Imagine if "The turkey was cooked by John" meant "John cooked the turkey." In Latin, this is how deponent verbs function.

Though challenging at first, understanding deponent verbs becomes easier as you study verb forms.


Noun Declensions:

Adjective Declensions:

Pronoun Declensions:

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