Latin Lesson #226: You can — potes!

The focus for today's lesson is the verb form potes, "you can."

See that -es there at the end? Well, that is the same es that you learned earlier this week, which means "you are."

That's because the verb potes is really short for potis es, "able you-are," i.e. "you can." And that's true for the other forms of this verb that you have already learned: potest = potis + est and possum = potis + sum. It's true for the infinitive form too: posse = potis + esse. 

So now you know: the reason the verb "can" is irregular in Latin is because it's just another form of the verb "to be," which is a very irregular verb!

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before, which is most of the words in today's sayings.

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Dum potes, vive.
While you-are-able, live!
dum potes, vive.

You know all the words in this saying!

The word vive is the imperative form of the verb vivit.

This is one of those memento mori sayings: while you are able to live, you better live, because the day will come when you die, and you won't be able to live then!

2. Quantum potes, tantum aude.
As-much-as you-can, that-much dare!
quantum potes, tantum aude.

You have another imperative here: aude, "dare!" from the verb audet.
You know the word quantum already, and the verb tantum makes a correlative pair: "as much... that much." Both quantum and tantum are neuter forms in the accusative case, the object of the verbs. 


3. Non potes Tethidem simul et Galateam amare.
You-aren't-able to-love Tethis and Galatea at-the-same-time.
non potes TE-thidem simul et Gala-TE-am a-MA-re.

You know all the words in this saying also, aside from the names of these famous Greek nymphs, Tethis and Galatea: Tethidem is the accusative form of the name Tethis, and Galateam is the accusative form of the name Galatea. They are in the accusative case because they are both objects of the infinitive verb, amare.

The verb potes can take an infinitive complement, just like English "able," so potes amare, "you are able to love."

Compare the English saying, "You cannot serve two masters." Although in this case, these are "mistresses," instead; you cannot have two girlfriends at the same time, especially if they are famous nymphs of Greek mythology.


4. Naturam frenare potes, sed vincere numquam.
You-are-able to restrain nature, but never overcome (it).
na-TU-ram fre-NA-re potes, sed VIN-cere numquam.

The word frenare, "to restrain, to rein in," is the imperative form of the verb frenat, which is the root of English "refrain." The word vincere is the infinitive form of the verb vincit. 

The word naturam is the accusative form of natura, accusative because it is the object of the infinitives frenare and vincere.

Compare the English saying, "Nature will out."


5. Tenere non potes, potes non perdere diem.
You-cannot keep the-day, you-can not waste (it).
te-NE-re non potes, potes non PER-dere diem.

This is a long saying, but you already know all the words in this one too!

The word tenere is the infinitive of the verb tenet, and the word perdere is the infinitive of perdit.

The word diem is the accusative form of dies, accusative because it is the object of the infinitives.

Like many sayings about dies (and also hora and lux), this is a sundial motto. The idea is that time keeps moving on; you cannot stop it: diem tenere non potes. But there is hope: you can manage not to waste the time you have, potes non perdere diem.

Here's a recap:

• Dum potes, vive.
• Quantum potes, tantum aude.
• Non potes Tethidem simul et Galateam amare.
• Naturam frenare potes, sed vincere numquam.
• Tenere non potes, potes non perdere diem.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #225: es! you are!

The focus for today's lesson is the 2nd-person singular form of the verb "to be" — es, "you are."

The verb "to be" is irregular, but you shouldn't be surprised that it ends in "s" just like the other 2nd-person forms you have seen:

• amas. "you love" from the verb amat ~ amare.
• habes. "you have" from the verb habet ~ habere.
• vivis. "you live" from the verb vivit ~ vivere.
• audis. "you hear" from the verb audit ~ audire.
• es. "you are" from the verb est ~ esse.

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. O Cupido, quantus es!
O Cupid, how-great you-are!
O Cu-PI-do, quantus es!

You haven't seen the masculine adjective quantus, "how much, how great," before, but you have seen the neuter form: quantum. 

You also know the word cupido already, but just as a noun meaning "desire, longing," but now this is Cupido, capitalized, meaning "Cupid," just like in English.

This words come from the play Mercator by the Roman playwright Plautus.

2. Martha, Martha, sollicita es.
Martha, Martha, you-are troubled.
Martha, Martha, sol-LI-cita es.

You haven't seen the feminine adjective sollicita, "troubled," before, but you have seen the masculine form: sollicitus. 

These words are spoken by Jesus to his follower Martha in the gospel of Luke; you can read more about Martha and her proverbial worries at Wikipedia.


3. Si es mortalis, vive ut mortalis.
If you-are mortal, live like (a) mortal.
Si es mor-TA-lis, vive ut mor-TA-lis.

You haven't seen the adjective mortalis, "mortal,"  before, but you have seen the noun that it comes from: mors. You know all the other words in this saying already!

This is another one of those memento mori sayings. You can read more about the memento mori tradition at Wikipedia.

4. O fortuna, numquam perpetuo es data!
O fortuna, you-are never given in-perpetuity.

O For-TU-na, numquam per-PE-tuo es data! 

You haven't seen the adjective data, "given," before, but you have seen the noun that it comes from: dat. More specifically, data is a passive participle form of the verb. You also know all the rest of the words in this saying.

These words come from the Roman playwright Terence. In both classical Latin and medieval Latin, you will find many sayings about the ups-and-downs of Fortune. You've already seen similar proverbs before; for example, Fortunae rota volvitur and Est rota fortunae variabilis, ut rota lunae.

5. Si semel es furans, furis nomen cape durans.
If once you-are being-a-thief, accept (the) lasting name of-thief!

Si semel es furans, furis nomen cape durans. 

You haven't seen the adjective durans, "lasting, enduring,"  before, but you have seen the verb that it comes from: durat. This is the neuter form of the adjective, agreeing with the neuter noun nomen.

The word furans means "thieving, stealing," which is a new word, but you already know the word fur, which you also see in this saying: furis is the genitive singular of fur.

You can tell from the rhyme, furans-durans, that this is a medieval Latin saying. The English translation is a bit awkward, in part because the Latin itself is awkward, and that's in order to achieve the rhyme. 

Here's a recap:

• O Cupido, quantus es!
• Martha, Martha, sollicita es.
• Si es mortalis, vive ut mortalis.
• O fortuna, numquam perpetuo es data!
• Si semel es furans, furis nomen cape durans.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 77 Vocabulary Review

The review this week is... 2nd-person forms from the 1st and 2nd conjugation, because you don't want to forget those! The 1st-conjugation form is -as, and the 2nd-conjugation form is -es. As usual, there's a quiz slideshow, a crossword, and a self-check quiz afterwards too. :-)

For each saying, you will try to supply the missing word. You can check yourself by looking at the cat slide that follows the slide with the missing word(s). 

You can also begin at the end and work backwards, giving yourself a different kind of quiz: seeing the slide without English and trying to supply the English, checking your answer on the next slide, reviewing with the cat slide, and then seeing if you can fill in the blank. 

Plus don't forget: on the slides that contain the English translation, the English is linked to the original blog post if you want some help in understanding the grammar of the saying.

I also made a printable crossword PDF as usual, and the same prompts for the crossword and slieshow are used in the quiz questions below. Enjoy!

Cum umbra ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

pugnas

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Memorem ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

mones

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Sisyphium ______ saxum.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

portas

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______ hircum.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

mulges

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Leonem ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

stimulas

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Fugiens, animam ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

servas

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In media luce ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

erras

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Asinum ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

tondes

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Aquam igni ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

misces

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Serpentem in sinu ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

foves

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______ litus.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

aras

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Doctum ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

doces

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Harenam ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

mensuras

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In arena ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

aedificas

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Viperam sub ala ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

nutricas

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Cauda ______ anguillam.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

tenes

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Ante tubam ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

trepidas

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Ovum ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

adglutinas

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Mortuum ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

flagellas

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Ranae aquam ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

ministras

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And here's a random cat:

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Latin Lesson #224: More 2nd-person -is verbs

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with those 2nd-person forms of the 3rd conjugation, ending in -is. This time, you will see that each saying has two verbs connected with a conjunction: dum, meaning "while," and si, meaning "if."

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before, and I think this is the first time that you already know all the words in today's sayings!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Bibe, si bibis.
Drink, if you're-drinking.
bibe, si bibis.

The word bibis is the 2nd-person form of the verb bibit. You also get the imperative form of that same verb: bibe!

These words can be found in the Roman playwright Plautus, and you have to imagine people drinking or pouring from a shared goblet of wine: the idea is that you need to take a drink if you are going to take a drink and then pass the cup... the next drinker is waiting!


2. Ride, si sapis.
Laugh, if you're-wise.
ride, si sapis.

The word sapis is the 2nd-person form of the verb sapit.

The word ride is the imperative form of the verb ridet (that's a 2nd-conjugation verb, as you can see from the e in ridet).

The advice comes from the Roman poet Martial, who had a keen sense of the absurdity of life. If you are wise, as Martial is, you will laugh at all the absurdity you observe. (In the poem, Martial says he is quoting the poet "Paelignus," i.e. Ovid: Latin / English). This comes from the first line of the poem, and here is the final line: plora, si sapis, "weep, if you are wise."

Compare the English saying, "You've either got to laugh or cry."


3. Vive dum vivis.
Live while you're-alive.
vive dum vivis.

The word vivis is the 2nd-person form of the verb vivit. You also get the imperative form of that same verb: vive!

This is one of the "carpe diem" type of sayings: today does not come again, so live it up while you can!


4. Dum vivis, sperare decet.
While you're-alive, it's-appropriate to-have-hope.
dum vivis, spe-RA-re decet.

The verb decet is an impersonal verb, and it takes an infinitive complement; the word sperare is the infinitive form of the verb sperat. So, "it is appropriate," decet, "to hope, to have hope," sperare.

This is one of those "dum spiro spero" type of sayings: so long as there is life, you should not give up hope.


5. Dum quaeris, hora fugit.
While you're-seeking, time is-fleeing.
dum quaeris, hora fugit.

The word quaeris is the 2nd-person form of the verb quaerit.

The word hora can mean "hour," but it can also mean "time" in general, something like the idiomatic use of the phrase of "the hour" in English, i.e. "The hour has come..." = "The time has come..."

This is one of those Latin sayings engraved on sundials, the idea being that just at the moment that are seeking to know what time it is, time itself is running away. It only takes a moment for the moment of now to escape into the past!


Here's a recap:

• Bibe, si bibis.
• Ride, si sapis.
• Vive dum vivis.
• Dum vivis, sperare decet.
• Dum quaeris, hora fugit.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #223: More -is verbs

The focus for today's lesson is more -is verbs, plus a little preposition review, and some dative forms too!

Prepositions: Remember how some prepositions can take either the ablative case or the accusative case? The meaning is different depending on which case they take. Today you will get a review of what happens when the preposition in takes the ablative ("in") versus when it takes the accusative ("into").

You'll also get a review of some dative forms of the 1st declension (dative ending -ae), 2nd declension (dative ending -o), and the 3rd declension (dative ending -i).

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before, which is most of the words!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. In aqua scribis.
You're-writing in water.
in aqua scribis.

You know all the words in this saying!
The word scribis is the 2nd-person form of the verb scribit.

The word aqua (aquā) is the ablative form of aqua, ablative with the preposition in.

This is another one of those fool's errands. If you writing in water, in sand, etc., your words will be washed away; they won't last.

2. In caelum exspuis.
You're-spitting into (the) sky.
in caelum EX-spuis.

The word exspuis, "you're spitting," is the 2nd-person form of the verb exspuit, literally "spit out," ex-spuit. This verb gives us English "sputum."

The word caelum is the accusative form of caelum (the neuter nominative and accusative always look the same). With the accusative, the preposition in now means "into."

Spitting up into the sky is not a good idea: it will fall back down and hit you in the face. Compare the English saying, "Don't spit into the wind."

3. Mari aquam addis.
You're-adding water to-the-sea.
mari aquam addis.

You know all the words in this one too!

The word addis is the 2nd-person form of the verb addit.

The word aquam is the accusative form of the noun aqua, and it's the direct object of the verb.

The word mari is the dative form of mare, the indirect object of the verb.

Another fool's errand: if there is anyone would doesn't need more water, that would be the sea! Compare the English saying, "coals to Newcastle."


4. Oleum camino addis.
You're-adding oil to-the-furnace.
O-leum ca-MI-no addis.

The word oleum is the accusative form of the noun oleum, "oil, olive  oil," and it's the direct object of the verb. You can see this Latin word in English "petroleum" and "linoleum."

The word camino is the dative form of caminus, "furnace," the indirect object of the verb. This is ultimately the origin of English "chimney."

Compare the English saying, "adding fuel to the fire."
 

5. Ranae vinum infundis.
You're-pouring wine for-the-frog.
ranae vinum in-FUN-dis.

The word infundis, "you're pouring, pouring on, pouring upon," is the 2nd-person form of the verb infundit, which gives us English "infusion."

The word vinum is the accusative form of the noun vinum, direct object of the verb.

The word ranae is the dative form of rana, the indirect object of the verb.

This is a waste of wine: a frog would be perfectly happy with water!


Here's a recap:

• In aqua scribis.
• In caelum exspuis.
• Mari aquam addis.
• Oleum camino addis.
• Ranae vinum infundis.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 76 Catch-Up Day

Here is the new catch-up day post for the -es verbs and -is verbs (both 3rd and 4th conjugation!) from the past two weeks, along with a slideshow (including cats) of those sayings, plus a link to the crossword as usual (which you can download and print), and then... the self-quiz also!

• #219: More 2nd conjugation -es
• #220: 4th-conjugation -is
• Week 75 Vocabulary Review
• #221: 3rd-conjugation -is
• #222: More 3rd-conjugation -is

So, let's start with the slideshow with all the sayings. You can read out loud, first with the English to remind you of the vocabulary... and then read out loud again with the cat!

I also made a printable crossword PDF as usual, and the same prompts for the crossword are used in the quiz questions below. Enjoy!

Calvum ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

vellis

---

Vides horam, ______ tuam.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

nescis

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Ultra Epimenidem ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

dormis

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Frange nucis tegmen, si ______ esse nucem.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

cupis

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Cribro aquam ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

hauris

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In arena ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

scribis

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Ante victoriam ______ triumphum.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

canis

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Aquam in cribro ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

geris

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Acum in meta faeni ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

quaeris

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Ex arena funiculum ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

nectis

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A pumice aquam ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

petis

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Lucernam ______ in meridie.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

adhibes

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Murem ex leone ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

efficis

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Ab ______ lanam petis.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

asino

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Animum debes mutare, non ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

caelum

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Aut non ______ tentes, aut perfice.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

rem

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______ implere debes, non arcam.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

animum

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In pertuso hauris ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

dolio

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Personam, non ______ geris.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

faciem

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Si ______ iugulare tentes, fortiter apprehende.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

leonem

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And here's a random cat:

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Latin Lesson #222: More 3rd-conjugation -is verbs

The focus for today's lesson is more practice with the 3rd-conjugation "you" verbs, which end in -is. Also, each of today's sayings also has a prepositional phrase, so it's a nice review of prepositional phrases as well!

To get started, here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before, and you have indeed seen most of the words in today's sayings already!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. In arena scribis.
You're-writing in sand.
in a-RE-na scribis.

You know all the words in this saying!

The verb scribis is the 2nd-person form of the verb scribit.

The word arena (arenā) is the ablative form of the noun arena, ablative because of the preposition in.

This is another of those fool's errands: you don't want to write in water or in sand or in ash. It's never going to last if you do that!


2. A pumice aquam petis.
You're-seeking water from (a) stone.
a PU-mice aquam petis.

The verb petis is the 2nd-person form of the verb petit, "seeks, asks for," as in the English word "petition." You haven't see this verb before, but you've seen it in a compound form: appetit.

The word pumice is the ablative form of the noun pumex, ablative because of the preposition a.

The word aquam is the accusative form of the noun aqua, accusative because it is the object of the verb.

Another fool's errand! Compare the English saying, trying to get "blood from a stone" or "blood from a turnip."


3. Ab asino lanam petis.
You're-seeking wool from (a) donkey.
ab A-sino lanam petis.

You now know all the words in this saying, since you learned petis in the previous saying.

The word asino is the ablative form of the noun asinus, ablative because of the preposition a, which is spelled ab here because of the following vowel: ab asino. (Compare the use of "n" in English in a phrase like "an apple").

The word lanam is the accusative form of the noun lana, accusative because it is the object of the verb.

And yet again, another fool's errand: you get wool from sheep, not from donkeys.


4. Acum in meta faeni quaeris.
You're-looking-for (a) needle in (a) stack of-hay.
acum in meta faeni quaeris.

The two new words here are the needle, acus, in the stack, meta of hay; you already know the word for hay: faenum. And yes, the word acus is related to the "sharp" words in English like "acuity" and "acumen." But, as far as I know, we don't get any English words from Latin meta; all those meta- words in English (like metaphor, metadata, etc.) are from Greek meta, not Latin.

The verb quaeris is the 2nd-person form of the verb quaerit.

The word meta (metā) is the ablative form of the noun meta, ablative because of the preposition in, and faeni is the genitive of faenum, so: in meta faeni, "in a stack of hay," i.e. in the proverbial haystack!

The word acum is the accusative form of the noun acus, accusative because it is the object of the verb.

Not quite a fool's errand this time, but a very difficult task! We have the same saying in English, looking for a needle in a haystack.


5. Ante victoriam canis triumphum.
You're-singing (the) victory-song before (the) victory.
ante vic-TO-riam canis triumphum.

The new word here is triumphus, the celebration of victory in ancient Rome — the highest military honor that a general could win — and it's easy to recognize because this is the origin of the English word "triumph."

The verb canis is the 2nd-person form of the verb canit. And yes, the Latin word canis also means dog! The words canis, "you sing," and canis, "dog," are homographs in Latin: different words with the same spelling. Of course, we have lots of homographs in English also, far more than Latin does. For example, you use a "bat" to play baseball, but "bats" are also animals!

This is the Roman imperial version of "counting your chickens before they're hatched."


Here's a recap:

• In arena scribis.
• A pumice aquam petis.
• Ab asino lanam petis.
• Acum in meta faeni quaeris.
• Ante victoriam canis triumphum.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #221: 3rd-conjugation -is

The focus for today's lesson is the 2nd-person forms for the 3rd-conjugation. No surprise, the ending is -is! Here's a review of all the 3rd-conjugation forms that you know:

• -o. scribo: I write. (also -io, capio. I take.)
• -is. scribis: you write.
• -it. scribit: she/he/it writes.
• -itur. scribitur: is written.
• -ere: scibere: to write.
• -e: scribe! write!

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before. There is only one new word in today's sayings. You have seen all of the words here before!

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Calvum vellis.
You’re-plucking (a) bald (man).
calvum vellis.

You know both words in this saying already!

The word calvum is the accusative form of the adjective calvus, accusative because it is the object of the verb. The adjective is being used substantively as a noun, "bald, a bald man."

This is one of those proverbial fool's errands: a bald man has no hair for you to pluck.


2. Personam, non faciem geris.
You’re-wearing (a) mask, not (your) face.
per-SO-nam, non FA-ciem geris.

You know all of these words too!

The word geris is from the verb gerit, which has a wide range of meanings. In this saying, it means "wear."

The word personam is the accusative form of the noun persona, and faciem is the accusative form of the noun facies, accusative because these are objects of the verb.

This is a way to describe someone who is being hypocritical, presenting a false face to the world, a mask, not their true face.

3. Aquam in cribro geris.
You’re-carrying water in (a) sieve.
aquam in cribro geris.

These words are also familiar! In this saying, the verb geris means "carry."

The word aquam is the accusative form of the noun aqua, accusative because it is the object of the verb. 

The word cribro is the ablative from of the noun cribrum, ablative because of the preposition in.

This is another one of those fool's errands: if you carry water in a sieve, you will have lost all the water by the time you get to your destination.


4. Murem ex leone efficis.
You’re-making (a) mouse out-of (a) lion.
murem ex le-O-ne EF-ficis.

You'll recognize these words also.

The word murem is the accusative form of the noun mus, accusative because it is the object of the verb. 

The word leone is the ablative from of the noun leo, ablative because of the preposition ex.

This saying goes in the opposite direction of proverbs you've seen before: instead of making a big thing out of a small thing (compare "making a mountain out of a molehill"), this saying goes in the opposite direction: making something big and valuable into something small and worthless.

5. Ex arena funiculum nectis.

You’re-weaving (a) rope out-of sand.
ex a-RE-na fu-NI-culum nectis.

  
This is the one new word for today: the word nectis, "you weave," is from the verb nectit. This is where we get English "connect" and also "nexus," which is a Latin word we use in English.

The word funiculum is the accusative form of the noun funiculus, accusative because it is the object of the verb. 

The word arena (arenā) is the ablative from of the noun arena, ablative because of the preposition ex.

Another fool's errand: if you try to make a rope out of sand, it will fall apart; it will not be a rope.

Here's a recap:

• Calvum vellis.
• Personam, non faciem geris.
• Aquam in cribro geris.
• Murem ex leone efficis.
• Ex arena funiculum nectis.

And here is today's audio:



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Week 75 Vocabulary Review

The review this week is... the 3rd conjugation! You'll see a variety of forms: 1st-person active, -o and -io (remember, this conjugation has those two different 1st-person forms!); 3rd-person present active, -it; present passive, -itur (sometimes with active meaning); imperative: -e; and active infinitive, -ere. There's a quiz slideshow, a crossword, and a self-check quiz afterwards too. :-)

For each saying, you will try to supply the missing word. You can check yourself by looking at the cat slide that follows the slide with the missing word(s). 

You can also begin at the end and work backwards, giving yourself a different kind of quiz: seeing the slide without English and trying to supply the English, checking your answer on the next slide, reviewing with the cat slide, and then seeing if you can fill in the blank. 

Plus don't forget: on the slides that contain the English translation, the English is linked to the original blog post if you want some help in understanding the grammar of the saying.

I also made a printable crossword PDF as usual, and the same prompts for the crossword and slieshow are used in the quiz questions below. Enjoy!

Quietae aquae non ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

credo

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Dum ______, spero.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

vivo

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Non pudor est non scire; pudor, nil ______ velle.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

discere

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Rex numquam ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

moritur

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Sum, ergo ______; ______, ergo sum.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

bibo

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Patientia ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

vinco

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Poeta ______, orator fit.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

nascitur

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Deo fortunaeque ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

committo

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______ audacter.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

perge

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Contentus ______ parvo.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

vivo

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Ultra ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

aspicio

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Avarus, nisi cum ______, nil recte facit.
fill in the blank:

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facit

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Sapientia est vera: nolle nimis ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

sapere

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Nec cupio nec ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

metuo

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Noctem dies ______.
fill in the blank:

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sequitur

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Felis amat piscem, sed non vult ______ flumen.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

tangere

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Interdum stultus bene ______.
fill in the blank:

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loquitur

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Tolle ______, tolle ______.
fill in the blank:

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lege

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Lupus lupum non ______.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

edit

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Dormienti vulpi ______ intra os nihil.
fill in the blank:

reveal/hide answer

cadit

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And here's a random cat:

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Latin Lesson #220: 4th-conjugation -is

You've done the -as "you" verbs for the 1st conjugation and the -es "you" verbs for the 2nd conjugation, and we're going to skip over the 3rd conjugation for now and do the 4th conjugation today. That's because the 4th conjugation is the least common of the conjugations, and I only have a few examples to share with you. So, we can do the 4th conjugation today, and then spend next week on the 3rd conjugation.

Can you guess what the "you" ending will be for the 4th conjugation? It is -is, just as you would expect from the other endings you have seen:

• audio: I hear
• audis: you hear
• audit: she/he/it hears
• auditur: is heard
• audire: to hear
• audi! hear! 

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Cribro aquam hauris.
You’re-drawing water with-a-sieve.
cribro aquam hauris.

The word hauris, "you draw, drain, drink," is the 2nd-person form of the verb haurit. This verb is at the root of English "exhaust," which originally meant "drain out, drink dry."
The word cribro is the ablative form of the noun cribrum, "sieve," and in the ablative case it means "with a sieve, by means of a sieve."

This is another one of those fool's errands: there's no way to collect water in a sieve full of holes. (Although I know a nice African folktale about the trickster tortoise: he uses mud and leaves to seal the holes in the sieve and thus is able to draw water with a sieve after all!)


2. In pertuso hauris dolio.
You’re-drawing water in (a) perforated jar.
in per-TU-so hauris DO-lio.

The word dolio is the ablative form of the noun dolium, which you have seen before. The word pertuso is in the ablative case too; it's from the adjective pertusum, "perforated."
The ablative case is being used here with the preposition in. Notice how the prepositional phrase is wrapped around the verb: in pertuso ... dolio.

This is a variation on the same idea: you will not succeed in filling a jar with water if the jar has a hole in it. This was the proverbial punishment of the daughters of Danaus, the Danaids, in the underworld: they were condemned to forever fill jars with water while the water ran out the jars. More at Wikipedia.


3. Ultra Epimenidem dormis.
You’re sleeping beyond Epimenides.
iltra Epi-ME-nidem dormis.

The word dormis is the 2nd-person form of the verb dormit, which you know already.

You've also seen the word ultra before, but when you saw it in the saying Ultra aspicio it was an adverb. This time it is being used as a preposition, taking the accusative case: Epimenidem is the accusative form of the name Epimenides. (There is a close connection between prepositions and adverbs, as you'll see later on!)

Epimenides was a famous long sleeper: he supposedly fell asleep in a cave in a cave sacred to Zeus. He slept there for over 50 years without waking up, and then when he did awake, he had the power of prophecy! More at Wikipedia.

4. Vides horam, nescis tuam.
You-see the-hour, you-don’t-know (which is) yours.
vides horam, nescis tuam.

The word vides is the 2nd-person form of the verb videt, which you know already.

The word nescis is the 2nd-person form of the verb nescit, which you have seen before also.
In fact, you have seen all the words in this saying before!

The word horam is the accusative form of hora, the object of the verb vides.

The word tuam is the accusative form tua, and the word horam is implied here too: nescis horam tuam.

And just what is the hour that this saying refers to? It is the hora mortis, the "hour of (your) death."


5. Frange nucis tegmen, si cupis esse nucem.
Break (the) nut’s shell if you-want to eat (the) nut.
frange nucis tegmen, si cupis esse nucem.

The word cupis is the 2nd-person form of the verb cupit, which you know already.

The word frange is the imperative form of the verb frangit, which you have seen before too.

The word nucis is the genitive form of nux, "nut," and nucem is the accusative form. You can see this Latin word in English "nucleus."

The word tegmen is a variant spelling of a word you've seen before: tegimen. You first encountered that word meaning the shell of a turtle, and now it refers to the shell of a nut: nucis tegmen, hence the genitive case. Meanwhile, tegmen is a neuter noun, so the nominative and accusative forms are the same; here it is in the accusative case, the object of frange.

The esse is very sneaky: it is the infinitive of sum, meaning "to be," but it is also the infinitive of edo, meaning "to eat." Yes, "to be" is "to eat" in Latin, esse, and there are some jokes and riddles that play on that ambiguity. In this saying, though, esse is not ambiguous: it is taking an accusative object, nucem, so the verb needs to be a transition verb: si cupis esse nucem, "if you want to eat the nut."

Compare the English saying about "breaking a few eggs to make an omelet."

Here's a recap:

• Cribro aquam hauris.
• In pertuso hauris dolio.
• Ultra Epimenidem dormis.
• Vides horam, nescis tuam.
• Frange nucis tegmen, si cupis esse nucem.

And here is today's audio:



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Latin Lesson #219: More -es verbs

The focus for today's lesson is more -es verbs, and I've also included two sayings to give you a sense of what's ahead for you in the Latin verb system and why it takes lots of practice with both vocabulary (learning the words) and syntax (putting the words into the sentences) in order to read Latin.

So far, most of the verb forms you've seen have unambiguous endings. That means you can look at the ending and figure out what form of the verb you are looking at: 1st or 2nd or 3rd person (I or you or she/he/it), active or passive, present tense or imperative or infinitive. But it's often the case, as you learn more and more of the verb forms, that they will be ambiguous. To decipher the ambiguity, you do need to know whether a verb belongs to the 1st or 2nd or 3rd or 4th conjugation. 

You've been practicing the 2nd-person forms of the 2nd-conjugation which end in -es; some of the forms you've seen are: habes, doces, tenes, misces, and so on. The dictionary form of these verbs shows that they are 2nd conjugation: habeo, doceo, teneo and misceo. The infinitive forms are habere, docere, tenere and miscere.

In today's lesson, you will have some more of these 2nd-conjugation verbs, but you will also have two sayings that use the verb tentes. You might think that is another 2nd-conjugation verb, right? But you've seen these verb before: it's not 2nd-conjugation; it's 1st-conjugation. Tentare non nocet. "It doesn't hurt to try." The dictionary form is tento and the infinitive is tentare; it's a 1st-conjugation verb.

So what is that -es doing on a 1st-conjugation verb? This is a subjunctive ending, a different "mood" of the verb. We don't use the subjunctive mood in modern English; instead, we use what are called modal verbs, which accomplish the same result: would, could, should, might, etc. So to translate tentes, you'll see that I've used the modal verbs "should try" and "would try" in English. 

Most English speakers aren't aware of modal verbs and how weird they are (they are WEIRD!), so if you are curious to learn a little bit about English modal verbs now, you can read this article at Wikipedia. Meanwhile, you'll be learning about the Latin subjunctive later on. I just thought this might be a nice moment to give you a sense of things to come!

And here is the slideshow (with cats) of the words you have seen before:

And here are today's proverbs:

1. Lucernam adhibes in meridie.
You’re-using (a) lamp at noon.
lu-CER-nam AD-hibes in me-RI-die.

The word adhibes is the 2nd-person form of the verb adhibet, "apply, employ, use." You haven't seen this verb before, but it is a compound of a verb that you do know: ad+habet. 

The word lucernam is the accusative form of the noun lucerna; it is the object of the verb.

The word meridie is the ablative form of the noun meridies, "midday, noon." You haven't seen this word before, but it is a compound of words you have seen: medius+dies. (The "d" turns into an "r" in a process called dissimilation, when a word changes in order to prevent two similar sounds occurring next to each other.) The word is in the ablative case with the preposition in.

This is equivalent to the English saying "burning daylight." In other words: it's foolish to use a lamp, and waste lamp oil, when it is broad daylight outside!


2. Animum debes mutare, non caelum.
You-must change (your) mind, not (your) sky.
A-nimum debes mu-TA-re, non caelum.

The word debes is the 2nd-person form of the verb debet, "owe, ought, must." You haven't seen this verb before, but it is a compound of a verb that you do know: de+habet. This Latin word is the root of English "debit" and "debt."

The word mutare is the infinitive form of the verb mutat, which you have seen before. It is an infinitive complementing the verb debes: "you ought to change," debes mutare.

The word animum is the accusative form of the noun animus, and it is the object of mutare.

The word caelum is also in the accusative, the object of the infinitive: Animum debes mutare, non [debes mutare] caelum.

In other words, you can't run away from your problems! This famous piece of advice comes from the Roman poet Horace.

3. Animum implere debes, non arcam.
You-must fill (your) soul, not (your) money-chest.
A-nimum im-PLE-re debes, non arcam.

The word implere is the infinitive form of the verb implet, "fill." You haven't seen this verb before, but you have seen a related adjective: plena, "full."

The word animum is the accusative object of the infinitive implere, and so is arcam. The sentence pattern is the same as in the previous saying: Animum implere debes, non [implere debes] arcam.

In other words: accumulate treasures of the heart, not money in your bank account.


4. Aut non rem tentes, aut perfice.
Either you-shouldn't-attempt (the) thing, or get-it-done.
aut non rem tentes, aut PER-fice.

You know all the words in this saying already, but there is a form here you have not seen before: tentes. As I explained above, this is the 2nd-person subjunctive form of the verb tentat, "tries, attempts." Because it is subjunctive, I have translated it as "should attempt" here.

The word perfice is the imperative form of the verb perficit, which you have seen before.

The word rem is the accusative object of the noun rem; it is the object of both the verb tentes and the imperative perfice.

As you've seen before, aut... aut... "or... or...," is equivalent to the expression "either... or..."

Compare the English saying, "Fish, or cut bait."


5. Si leonem iugulare tentes, fortiter apprehende.
If you would-try to strangle (a) lion, grab (him) forcefully.
si le-O-nem iugu-LA-re tentes, FOR-titer appre-HEN-de.

The word iugulare is the infinitive form of the verb iugulat, "strangles." You can see this same Latin root in English "jugular vein."

The word apprehende is the imperative form of the verb apprehendit, a verb you have seen before.

The word leonem is the accusative form of leo; it is the object of the infinitive and of the imperative: Si leonem iugulare tentes, fortiter apprehende [leonem].

The word fortiter, "forcefully, strongly," is the adverbial form of an adjective you have seen before: fortis.

Compare the English saying, "grasping the nettle." Although a lion is much more hazardous than a nettle!

Here's a recap:

• Lucernam adhibes in meridie.
• Animum debes mutare, non caelum.
• Animum implere debes, non arcam.
• Aut non rem tentes, aut perfice.
• Si leonem iugulare tentes, fortiter apprehende.

And here is today's audio:



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