Arma virumque cano
Virgil, Aeneid 1.1–7
Read the text
Tap any word to see what it is doing.
(AR-mah wih-ROOM-kweh KAH-noh, TROY-ai kwee PREE-moos ahb OH-rees)
(ih-TAH-lee-ahm, FAH-toh PRO-foo-goos, lah-WEE-nee-ah-kweh WEH-nit LEE-toh-rah)
(MOOL-toom IL-leh et TEHR-rees yak-TAH-toos et AL-toh)
(MOO-sah, MIH-hee KOW-sahs MEH-moh-rah)
Words from the passage
Say it in Latin
0/10 prompted sentences
Greetings & questions
Verbs
Connecting words
Nouns & adjectives
Time words
Talk with your teacher: Magister (your teacher)
Salve! Quid legis?
(SAL-weh! kwid LEH-gis)
Hello! What are you reading?
Greetings & questions
Verbs
Connecting words
Nouns & adjectives
Time words
10 phrases to know in this scene
0/10 got it
1. Arma cano
(AR-mah KAH-noh)
I sing of arms
Why know it?
Arma is plural even when English says 'war'.
Not yet
2. Arma virumque cano
(AR-mah wih-ROOM-kweh KAH-noh)
I sing of arms and the man
Why know it?
-que glued to a word means 'and'.
Not yet
3. Virum cano
(WIH-room KAH-noh)
I sing of the man
Why know it?
Vir becomes virum as the object.
Not yet
4. Vir Italiam venit
(wir ih-TAH-lee-ahm WEH-nit)
The man comes to Italy
Why know it?
Poetry can drop the preposition before a place.
Not yet
5. Aeneas ad litora venit
(ai-NAY-ahs ahd LEE-toh-rah WEH-nit)
Aeneas comes to the shores
Why know it?
Ad + accusative: toward.
Not yet
6. Aeneas Italiam videt
(ai-NAY-ahs ih-TAH-lee-ahm WIH-det)
Aeneas sees Italy
Why know it?
Third-person -t ending for 'he'.
Not yet
7. Litora video
(LEE-toh-rah WIH-deh-oh)
I see the shores
Why know it?
Neuter plurals end in -a.
Not yet
8. Troia non est Italia
(TROY-ah nohn est ih-TAH-lee-ah)
Troy is not Italy
Why know it?
Both sides of est stay nominative.
Not yet
9. Aeneas est vir
(ai-NAY-ahs est wir)
Aeneas is a man
Why know it?
Latin has no word for 'a' or 'the'.
Not yet
10. Aeneas ex Troiā venit
(ai-NAY-ahs eks TROY-ah WEH-nit)
Aeneas comes from Troy
Why know it?
Ex + ablative: out of.
Not yet