Conversational Latin

by Keith Massey, PhD

(Copyright ©, 2014)

Phase One

Greetings and Phrases

Hello salvē (sing.) / salvēte (pl.)

Goodbye valē (sing.) / valēte (pl.)

Good morning/Good day bona diēs

Good night bona nox

Please quaesō / sī vīs

Thank you gratiās (tibi agō)

You're welcome libenter / nihil est

Excuse me ignosce mihi

yes sīc / ita verō

no nōn / minimē

not nōn

maybe fortasse

and et / -que (enclitic)

or aut / -ve (enclitic)

Do you speak Latin? dīcisne Latinē?

I don't speak Latin very well. ego nōn dīcō Latinē multum bene.

Please speak more slowly. quaesō, dīc lentius.

Please repeat it. quaeso, id repetā.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand. mē paenitet, sed nōn intellegō.

How do you say it in Latin? quōmodo id dīcis in Latinā?

What does that word mean? quid significat verbum illud?

Basic Verbs and Pronouns

I am (ego) sum

I have (ego) habeō

I like mihi placet

I need (ego) desīderō

I want (ego) volō

I can (ego) possum

I go (ego) eō

I know (ego) sciō

I think (ego) putō / (ego) credō

Could you … ? possis... ?

I ego

you (sing.) tū

he is

she ea

it id

we nōs

you (pl.) vōs

they eī
Numbers

number numerus, numerī (m)

zero nihil

one ūnus, ūna, ūnum

two duo, duae, duo

three trēs, tria

four quattuor

five quīnque

six sex

seven septem

eight octō

nine novem

ten decem
 Phase Two

Model Sentences

What is your name? quid est nomen tuum? / nomen tibi?

My name is ... nomen meum / nomen mihi est...

It was nice to meet you. bellē tē cognōscere fuit.

How are you? quid agis?

I'm fine bene (sum).

So-so sīc tenuiter

Where are you from? unde es (tū)?

I'm from … (ego) sum de...

Where is the ... ubi est...

What time is it? quota hōra est?

How much does it cost? quantī id constat?

Where do you live? ubi habitās?

I live in the United States. (ego) habitō in Statibus Unītīs

Americae

I'm an American. (ego) sum Americanus / Americana

Nouns/Food and Drink

man vir, virī (m)

woman fēmina, fēminae (f)

person homo, hominis (c)

thing rēs, reī (f)

place locus, locī (m)

chair sella, sellae (f)

table mēnsa, mēnsae (f)

house vīlla, vīllae (f); casa, casae (f)

bathroom lātrīna, lātrīnae (f)

name nomen, nominis (n)

food cibus, cibī (m)

drink pōtus, pōtūs (m)

water aqua, aquae (f)

bread pānis, pānis (m)

Adjectives

good bonus, bona, bonum

bad malus, mala, malum

nice bellus, bella, bellum

pretty pulchra

handsome pulcher
sick aeger, aegra, aegrum

tired fessus, fessa, fessum

happy contentus, contenta, contentum

sad tristis, triste

right dextrā

left sinistrā

this hic, haec, hoc

that ille, illa, illud

big magnus, magna, magnum

small parvus, parva, parvum

Time/Interrogatives

time tempus, temporis (n)

hour hōra, hōrae (f)

day diēs, dieī (c)

night nox, noctis (f)

morning mane (indecl.)

afternoon post merīdiem

evening vesper, vesperī (m)

yesterday heri

today hodiē

tomorrow cras

now nunc

then tum / tunc

who, which quī, quae, quod

what quid

where ubi

when quandō

why cūr

how quōmodo

how much quantum

how many quot

Basic Verbs

to be

I am (ego) sum

you are (sing.) (tū) es

he/she is (is, ea) est

we are (nōs) sumus

you are (pl.) (vōs) estis

they are (eī) sunt

to want

I want (ego) volō

you want (sing.) (tū) vīs

he/she wants (is, ea) vult

we want (nōs) volumus

you want (pl.) (vōs) vultis

they want (eī) volunt

to have

I have (egō) habeō

you have (sing.) (tū) habēs

he/she has (is, ea) habet

we have (nōs) habēmus

you have (pl.) (vōs) habētis

they have (eī) habent

Basic Verb Infinitives

to be esse

to do/make facere

to go īre

to be able posse

to eat consumere

to drink bibere

to speak loquī / dīcere

to say dīcere

to think putāre / credere

to know scīre

to want velle

to need desīderāre
to have habēre

to like placēre (+ dat.)

Prepositions/Miscellaneous

in in (+ abl.)

with cum (+ abl.)

to ad (+ acc.)

of (use genitive case of the noun for

possession)

from / by ā/ab (+abl.)

out of ē / ex (+ abl)

through per (+ acc.)

for prō (+ abl.)

here hīc
there ibi

really vērē

very valdē

also quoque

but sed

together ūnā

well bene

again iterum

of course certē

Numbers

eleven ūndecim

twelve duodecim
thirteen tredecim

fourteen quattuordecim

fifteen quīndecim

sixteen sēdecim

seventeen septendecim

eighteen duodēvīgintī

nineteen ūndēvīgintī

twenty vīgintī

twenty-one ūnus et vīgintī

 Phase Three

Model Sentences

My father is a nice person. pater meus est homo bellus.

This man is tall. hic vir est altus.

My car is bigger than your car. raeda mea est maior quam raeda tua
(or: maior raedā tuā).

I don’t know the answer. nōn sciō responsum.

Are all your friends here? suntne omnēs amicī tuī hīc?

I learned many things today. didicī multās rēs hodiē.

That woman is beautiful. fēmina illa est pulchra.

I saw my friend's new house yesterday. heri vīllam novam amīcī meī vīdī.
Tell me something new. dīc mihi aliquid novī.

I think that this shirt is better than putō hanc camisiam meliorem illā
that shirt. camisiā esse.

I'm hungry. ēsuriēns sum.

I'm thirsty. sitiēns sum.

Nouns/Food and Drink

people hominēs / populus, populī (m)

boy puer, puerī (m)

girl puella, puellae (f)

husband marītus, marītī (m)

wife uxor, uxoris (f)

father pater, patris (m)

mother mater, matris (f)

son fīlius, fīliī (m)

daughter fīlia, fīliae (f)

brother frater, fratris (m)

sister soror, sororis (f)

friend amīcus, amīcī (m) / amīca, amīcae (f)

family familia, familiae (f)

coffee caffea, caffeae (f)

tea thea, theae (f)

milk lac, lactis (n)

beer cervisia, cervisiae (f)

wine vīnum, vīnī (n)

Adjectives

my meus, mea, meum

our noster, nostra, nostrum

your (sing) tuus, tua, tuum

your (pl.) vester, vestra, vestrum

their suus, sua, suum (reflexive) / eōrum

his suus, sua, suum (reflexive) / eius

her suus, sua, suum (reflexive) / eius

much multus, multa ,multum

many multī

few paucī

all omnis, omne

none nullus, nulla, nullum

new novus, nova, novum

old (thing) vetus, veteris (single form adj.)

young (person) iuvenis (c)

old man senex, senis (m)

old woman anus, anūs (f)

more, bigger maior, maius

less, smaller minor, minus

better melior, melius

worse peior, peius

Time/Miscellaneous

second secunda, secundae (f)

minute minūta, minūtae (f)

week hebdomas, hebdomadis (f) /

septimāna, septimānae (f)

month mēnsis, mēnsis (m)

year annus, annī (m)

always semper

never numquam

sometimes interdum / nōnnumquam

often saepe

once semel

twice bis

soon mox
because quod

much, a lot multum

a little paulō

enough satis

only tantum / modo / solum

already iam

nothing nihil

something aliquid

Basic Verbs

to know

I know (ego) sciō

you (sing.) know (tū) scīs

he/she knows (is, ea) scit

we know (nōs) scīmus

you (pl.) know (vōs) scītis

they know (eī) sciunt

can, to be able

I can (ego) possum

you (sing.) can (tū) potes

he/she can (is, ea) potest

we can (nōs) possumus

you (pl.) can (vōs) potestis

they can (eī) possunt

to need

I need (ego) desīderō

you (sing.) need (tū) desīderās

he/she needs (is, ea) desīderat

we need (nōs) desīderāmus

you (pl.) need (vōs) desīderātis

they need (eī) desīderant

to like

I like mihi placet (mihi placent with

pl.)

you (sing.) like tibi placet

he/she likes eī placet

we like nobis placet

you (pl.) like vobis placet

they like eīs placet

Basic Verb Infinitives

to ask rogāre

to answer respondere

to tell narrāre

to give dāre

to live habitāre (of place)/ vīvere (to be

alive)

to come venīre

to see vidēre

to hear audīre

to understand intellegere

to take capere

to use ūtī

to leave discēdere
 Phase Four

Model Sentences

It's 1:00 PM. est prīma hōra post merīdiem.

It's 9:30 AM. est hōra nōna et semīhōra ante

meridem.

It’s noon. est merīdiēs.

It’s midnight. est media nox.

It's 8:24 PM exactly. est hōra octava minūta vīcēsima

quarta post merīdiem in punctō.
Nouns/Food and Drink

neighbor vīcinus, vīcinī (m) / vīcīna, vīcīnae

(f)

bed lectus, lectī (m)

room conclāve, conclāvis (n)

book liber, librī (m)

paper charta, chartae (f)

pen calamus, calamī (m)

car raeda, raedae (f)

school schola, scholae (f) / ludus, ludī (m)

job quaestus, quaestūs (m)

building aedificium, aedificiī (n)

window fenestra, fenestrae (f)

kitchen culīna, culīnae (f)

door iānua, iānuae, (f)

bedroom cubiculum, cubiculī (n)

telephone telephonum, telephonī (n)

money pecunia, pecuniae (f)

plate patina, patinae (f)

glass pōculum, pōculī (n)

cup pocillum, pocillī (n)

napkin mappa, mappae (f)

fork furcilla, furcillae (f)

knife cultellus, cultellī (m)

spoon cochlear, cochlearis (n)

Adjectives

married nupta (of woman) / marītus (of

man)

interesting impers. interest, with fem. abl. adj.

for one interested : i.e., meā
interest, it interests me.

sure certus, certa ,certum

fast celer, celere

slow lentus, lenta, lentum

some aliquī, aliquae, aliquod

excellent optimus, optima, optimum

afraid timidus, timida, timidum

busy occupātus, occupāta, occupātum

angry īrātus, īrāta, īrātum

ready parātus, parāta, parātum

Time/Prepositions

Sunday diēs Sōlis / dominica, dominicae

(f)

Monday diēs Lūnae

Tuesday diēs Martis

Wednesday diēs Mercuriī

Thursday diēs Iovis

Friday diēs Veneris

Saturday diēs Saturnī / sabbata,

sabbatōrum (n. pl.)

season tempus annī, temporis annī (n)

spring vēr, vēris (n)

summer aestas, aestatis (f)

autumn autumnus, autumnī (m)

winter hiems, hiemis (f)

under sub (+ abl.)

on in (+ abl.)

over super (+ acc.)

next to iūxtā (+ acc.)

into in (+acc.)

than quam

inside intrō (+ acc.)

outside extrā (+ acc.)

Basic Verbs

to go

I go (ego) eō

you (sing.) go (tū) īs

he/she goes (is, ea) it

we go (nōs) īmus

you (pl.) go (vōs) ītis

they go (eī) eunt

to do/make

I do/make (ego) faciō

you (sing.) do/make (tū) facis

he/she does/makes (is/ea) facit

we do/make (nōs) facimus

you (pl.) do/make (vōs) facitis

they do/make (eī) faciunt

to speak

I speak (ego) loquor / dīcō

you (sing.) speak (tū) loqueris / dīcis

he/she speaks (is, ea) loquitur / dīcit

we speak (nōs) loquimur / dīcimus

you (pl.) speak (vōs) loquiminī / dīcitis

they speak (eī) loquuntur / dīcunt

to say

I say (ego) dīcō

you (sing.) say (tū) dīcis

he/she says (is, ea) dīcit

we say (nōs) dīcimus

you (pl.) say (vōs) dīcitis

they say (eī) dīcunt

Basic Verb Infinitives

to enter intrāre

to exit exīre

to read legere

to write scrībere

to look spectāre

to sit sedēre

to stand stāre

to forget obliviscī (+ gen. of thing forgotten)

to remember meminisse (+ gen. of thing

remembered)

to find invenīre

to lose perdere

to bring afferre
Miscellaneous/Numbers

yet/still adhūc

each quisque, quaeque, quodque

every omnis, omne

before ante (+ acc.)

after post (+ acc.)

near prope (+ acc.)

far (from) procul (ā/ab + abl.)

during inter (+ acc.)

in order to ut (+ subjunctive verb)

probably probabiliter

thirty trīgintā

forty quadrāgintā
fifty quīnquāgintā

sixty sexāgintā

seventy septuāgintā

eighty octōgintā

ninety nōnāgintā

hundred centum

thousand mīlle

first prīmus, prīma, prīmum

second secundus, secunda, secundum

third tertius, tertia, tertium

 Phase Five

Model Sentences

I want to speak with you for a moment. tēcum paulisper loquī volō.

I will try to answer that question for temptābō respondere ad rogātum

you. illud tibi.

My friend went to Italy in order to amīcus meus ad Italiam īvit ut

study Latin. Linguam Latīnam studiāret.

She left early because she was tired. ea praemāturē discessit quod fessa
erat.

If you want, you can come with me. sī vīs, mēcum venīre potes.

Let's go to the resaurant now! eamus ad caupōnam nunc!

Nouns/Food and Drink

problem problema, problemae (f)

question quaestio, quaestionis (f) /

rogātum, rogātī (n)

answer responsum, responsī (n)

language lingua, linguae (f)

difference differentia, differentiae (f)

city urbs, urbis, (f)

street via, viae (f)

light lumen, luminis (n)

mail litterae, litterārum (f. pl.)

letter epistula, epistulae (f)

address inscriptio cursualis, inscriptionis

cursualis (f)
opportunity/chance occasio, occasionis (f)

airplane āëroplanum, āëroplanī (n)

pepper piper, piperis (m)

salt sāl, salis (n)

meat carō, carnis (f)

potato pomum terrestre, pomī terrestris

(n)

vegetable holus, holeris (n)

fruit fructus, fructūs (m)

beef būbula, būbulae (f)

chicken pullus, pullī (m) [as animal];

gallinacea, gallinaceae (f) [as
food]

fish piscis, piscis (m) [as animal];

piscātus, piscātūs (m) [as food]
Adjectives

important magnī (e.g., aliquid magnī

aestimāre - to consider something
important)
different diversus, diversa, diversum

hot calidus, calida, calidum

cold frigidus, frigida, frigidum

interested esse curae (+ dat.) (e.g., I am

interested in that - id est curae
mihi)
necessary necessarius, necessaria,
necessarium

difficult difficilis, difficile

easy facilis, facile

same īdem, eadem, idem

possible possibilis, possibile

impossible impossibilis, impossibile

early maturus, matura, maturum

late tardus, tarda, tardum

clean mundus, munda, mundum

dirty immundus, immunda, immundum

smart intelligens, intelligentis

stupid stultus, stulta, stultum

other alius, alia, alium

next proximus, proxima, proximum

last ultimus, ultima, ultimum

right rectus, recta, rectum

wrong falsus, falsa, falsum

Prepositions/Miscellaneous

between inter (+ acc.)

about, concerning de (+ abl.)

until usque ad ( +acc.)

around circā (+ acc.)

without sine (+ abl.)

behind post (+ acc.)

in front of ante (+ acc.) / prō (+ abl)

against contrā (+ acc.)

instead of prō (+ abl.)

at once, immediately statim

both ambō, ambae, ambō

finally tandem
almost paene

however tamen

if sī

like similis, simile (+ gen)

suddenly subito

too (much) nimis (+ gen.)

so, thus ita

Parts of the Body/Basic Colors

body corpus, corporis (n)

head caput, capitis (n)

hand manus, manūs (f)

eye oculus, oculī (m)

ear auris, auris (f)

mouth os, oris (n)

stomach stomachus, stomachī (m)

foot pēs, pedis (m)

heart cor, cordis (n)

color color, coloris (m)

black niger, nigra, nigrum

white albus, alba, album

red ruber, rubra, rubrum

blue caeruleus, caerulea, caeruleum

green viridis, viride

yellow flavus, flava, flavum

Basic Verbs

to give

I give (ego) dō

you give (sing.) (tū) dās

he/she gives (is, ea) dat

we give (nōs) dāmus

you give (pl.) (vōs) dātis

they give (eī) dant

to think

I think (ego) putō / credō

you think (sing.) (tū) putās / credis

he/she thinks (is, ea) putat / credit

we think (nōs) putāmus / credimus

you think (pl.) (vōs) putātis / creditis

they think (eī) putant / credunt

to live (to inhabit / to be alive)

I live (ego) habitō / vīvō

you live (sing.) (tū) habitās / vīvis

he/she lives (is, ea) habitat / vīvit

we live (nōs) habitāmus / vīvimus

you live (pl.) (vōs) habitātis / vīvitis

they live (eī) habitant / vivunt

Basic Verb Infinitives

to love amāre

to send mittere

to teach docēre
to learn discere

to help adiuvāre

to look for quaerere

to work laborāre

to carry portāre

to call clamāre

to study studiāre

to hope sperāre

to try temptāre

to sleep dormīre