Classical Latin · speak first
Parlo! Classical Latin
Read real Latin from day one! Pick a passage, tap any word, then build your own sentences with its words, then say them out loud. Agite!
Levels A0 → B1Start from zero. A0 has 4 sections, A1 has 10.→Gallia est omnis divisa
Caesar, De Bello Gallico 1.1
0/10 phrases
Vivamus, mea Lesbia
Catullus, Carmen 5
0/10 phrases
Arma virumque cano
Virgil, Aeneid 1.1–7
0/10 phrases
Quo usque tandem
Cicero, In Catilinam 1.1
0/10 phrases
Structural sheets
The words Latin runs on — with pronunciation and meaning, ready to flip and hear.
50 common verbs
With their principal parts
50 words
100 common nouns
Nominative, genitive and gender
100 words
50 connecting words
Conjunctions, prepositions and questions
50 words
Latin grammar rules
The rules
Basic
- Endings, not word order
Who does what is shown by word endings.
- No words for “a” or “the”
Add a / the in English as the sense requires.
- Nominative = subject
The doer of the verb is in the nominative.
- Accusative = object
The thing acted on usually ends in -m (singular) or -s / -a (plural).
- The verb ending is the subject
-o / -m I, -s you, -t he/she, -mus we, -nt they.
- Esse links two nominatives
With sum / es / est / sunt, both sides stay nominative.
- Prepositions choose a case
ad / per + accusative; cum / sine / ex / de + ablative; in + either.
- Non before the verb
Put non directly in front of the verb it negates.
Complex
- Adjectives copy their noun
Same gender, number and case, even far apart.
- Dative = to / for someone
Mihi / mi “to me”, senatui “to the senate”.
- The ablative's many jobs
By, with, from, in: means, place, respect, and more.
- Cities: no preposition
Romam venit: “he comes to Rome”.
- -que = “and”
Glued to the second word: arma virumque.
- Calling someone: the vocative
Mea Lesbia, Catilina, Musa: the person spoken to.
How to build a sentence
1. Subject (nominative)
Caesar
(KAI-sar)
= Caesar
2. Object (accusative)
Galliam
(GAL-lee-ahm)
= Gaul
3. Phrase (preposition + case)
in urbe
(in OOR-beh)
= in the city
4. Time / adverb
hodie
(HOH-dee-eh)
= today
5. Verb (often last)
videt
(WIH-det)
= sees
Common mistakes from English
✗ Lesbia amo
✓ Lesbiam amo
(LES-bee-ahm AH-moh)
= I love Lesbia
The person loved needs the accusative -m.
Rule: Accusative = object →✗ ego amat
✓ ego amo
(EH-goh AH-moh)
= I love
The verb ending must match the subject.
Rule: The verb ending is the subject →✗ Roma est urbem
✓ Roma est urbs
(ROH-mah est oorbs)
= Rome is a city
Est takes a nominative on both sides.
Rule: Esse links two nominatives →✗ ad urbe
✓ ad urbem
(ahd OOR-bem)
= to the city
Ad always takes the accusative.
Rule: Prepositions choose a case →✗ the man = ille vir
✓ vir
(wir)
= the man
Latin has no articles; do not invent one.
Rule: No words for “a” or “the” →✗ Gallia est non Roma
✓ Gallia non est Roma
(GAL-lee-ah nohn est ROH-mah)
= Gaul is not Rome
Non goes directly before the verb.
Rule: Non before the verb →