Lesson 15: The Third Declension, Neuter

Like all neuter nouns in Latin, neuter nouns of the third declension use the same form in the accusative as the nominative, and take the -a ending in the plural nominative and accusative. Otherwise, they are formed the same way as the masculine and feminine third declension nouns that we learned in the last lesson.

When we describe the manner in which something was done, we use the ablative with the preposition cum. If the noun is modified by an adjective, cum may be omitted, or placed between the adjective and the noun in this order: adjective cum noun.

• Aquam cum cura portavit. - He carried the water with care.
• Aquam magna cum cura portavit. - He carried the water with great care.
• Aquam magna cura portavit. - He carried the water with great care.

We've learned several different uses of the ablative, so it may help to review the others.

• Aquam carro portavit. - He carried the water with a cart. (Ablative of means, no preposition.)
• Aquam cum amico portavit. - He carried the water with a friend. (Ablative of accompaniment, takes cum.)
• Aquam in via portavit. - He carried the water on the road. (Ablative of place where, takes in.)
• Aquam ex villa portavit. - He carried the water out of the field. (Ablative of place from which, takes a preposition like ex, de, etc.)

• caput, capitis, n., head
• carmen, carminis, n., song, poem
• celeritās, celeritātis, f., speed, quickness
• corpus, corporis, m., body
• dīligentia, dīligentiae, f., care, carefulness
• flūmen, flūminis, n., river
• iter, itineris, n., march, journey, route
• nōmen, nōminis, n., name
• tempus, temporis, n., time
• vulnus, vulneris, n., wound

• Germānus, -a, -um, German
• Graecus, -a, -um, Greek
• Helvētius, -a, -um, Helvetian (Swiss, more or less)
• Hispānus, -a, -um, Spanish
• Rōmānus, -a, -um, Roman

Note that there are a couple of feminine third declension nouns mixed in with those neuter ones, and the last four words are adjectives.

1. vulnus parvum
2. carmen pulchrum
3. corpus meum

1. Pueri frumentum magna cum diligentia trans flumen portaverunt.
2. Cur tempus cum celeritate volat?
3. Iter per silvam magnam longum erat.
4. Populus Romanus nomen Caesaris laudabat.
5. Carmina poetae erant pulchra et vera.
6. Caput inimici gladio vulneravi.
7. Nomen fratris regis erat Marcus; sororis Julia.
8. Pugnate, milites mei, cum audacia et celeritate.
9. Imperator noster clamavit, et tum oppidum oppugnavimus.
10. Dux viros feminasque Romanos convocavit.

1. Because of war, the soldiers and weapons were ready.
2. The Roman leader's name was Julius; his reign was long and good.
3. We walked to the river and carried water to the fields with a wagon.
4. A great king in Germany was a friend of the Roman people.
5. Your journey to the camp will be long; walk with great speed.
6. My horse's head was large but (his) body was small.
7. The teacher gave Marcus's little sister many beautiful gifts.
8. The boys and girls were praising (their) fathers and mothers.
9. We sailed on the river for a long time.
10. You fought with weapons and with great boldness.

We've covered the third declension nouns in all three genders, but we're not quite finished with it yet. Unfortunately there is another class of third declension nouns that work a bit differently. Next lesson: those third declension “I-stem” nouns.

Remember that these are third declension nouns and first/second declension adjectives.

1. vulnus parvum (small wound)

1. carmen pulchrum (beautiful song)

1. corpus meum (my body)

1. Pueri frumentum magna cum diligentia trans flumen portaverunt. - The boys carried the grain across the river with great care.
2. Cur tempus cum celeritate volat? - Why does time fly with swiftness?
3. Iter per silvam magnam longum erat. - The journey through the great forest was long.
4. Populus Romanus nomen Caesaris laudabat. - The people of Rome used to praise the name of Caesar.
5. Carmina poetae erant pulchra et vera. - The poet's poems were beautiful and true.
6. Caput inimici gladio vulneravi. - I wounded the head of my enemy with a sword.
7. Nomen fratris regis erat Marcus; sororis Julia. - The name of the brother of the king was Marcus; his sister's name was Julia.
8. Pugnate, milites mei, cum audacia et celeritate. - Fight, my soldiers, with boldness and swiftness.
9. Imperator noster clamavit, et tum oppidum oppugnavimus. - Our general shouted, and then we attacked the town.
10. Dux viros feminasque Romanos convocavit. - The leader called together the men and women of Rome.

1. Because of war, the soldiers and weapons were ready. - Propter bellum milites et tela erant parata.
2. The Roman leader's name was Julius; (his) reign was long and good. - Nomen ducis Romani erat Julius; regnum erat longum et bonum.
3. We walked to the river and carried water to the fields with a wagon. - Ad flumen ambulavimus et aquam ad agros carro portavimus.
4. A great king in Germany was a friend of the Roman people. - Rex magnus in Germania erat amicus Populi Romani.
5. Your journey to the camp will be long; walk with great speed. - Iter tuum ad castra longum erit; ambula magna cum celeritate.
6. My horse's head was large but (his) body was small. - Caput equi mei erat magnum sed corpus parvum.
7. The teacher gave Marcus's little sister many beautiful gifts. - Magister sorori parvae Marci multa et pulchra dona dedit.
8. The boys and girls were praising (their) fathers and mothers. - Pueri et puellae patres et matres laudabant.
9. We sailed on the river for a long time. - Navigavimus in flumine diu.
10. You fought with weapons and with great boldness. - Pugnavisti telis et magna cum audacia.