ADJECTIVES

Agreement
 An adjective agrees with its noun in three
ways:
 Gender
 Number

 Case
 Declensions
 There are two main types of adjectives
 2-1-2
 These decline like the 1st and 2nd declension
 e.g. bonus, bona, bonum

 Or 3-3
 These decline like the 3rd declension
 e.g. fortis, fortis, forte
 1 and 2 declension
st nd

NOM bonus bona bonum boni bonae bona

ACC bonum bonam bonum bonos bonas bona

GEN boni bonae boni bonorum bonarum bonorum

DAT bono bonae bono bonis bonis bonis

ABL bono bona bono bonis bonis bonis

 3 declension
rd

NOM fortis fortis forte fortes fortes fortia

ACC fortem fortem forte fortes fortes fortia

GEN fortis fortis fortis fortium fortium fortium

DAT forti forti forti fortibus fortibus fortibus

ABL forti forti forti fortibus fortibus fortibus

Connect the possible agreements
 NOUNS  ADJECTIVES
 puellam  bonis
 regum  fortium
 manibus  fortem
 servi  bonum
 die  fortis
 puellarum  forti
 regem  bonorum
 servis  fortibus
 Comparative Adjectives
 Comparative adjectives are used to compare
two people or things
 i.e. to express the fact that one has a particular
quality to a greater extent than another
 In English it is usually formed by adding –er
to a short word (long becomes longer) or by
adding more in front of a longer word (difficult
becomes more difficult)
 Superlative Adjectives
 Superlative adjectives tell us that a person or
thing has a quality to a very great extent or to
the greatest extent of any in a group
 In English it is usually formed by adding –est
to a short word (long becomes longest) or by
adding very/most in front of a longer word
(difficult becomes very/most difficult)
 Comparative and Superlative
Adjectives in Latin
Positive adjective Comparative adjective Superlative adjective
= …er/ more…/rather… = …est/ very… / most…

laetus laetior laetissimus

= happy = happier = happiest

pulcher pulchrior pulcherrimus

= pretty = prettier = prettiest

facilis facilior facillimus

= easy = easier = easiest

 Comparative Adjective Endings
(p. 7 of Latin to GCSE 2)
 The comparative is 3-3, i.e. takes third
declension endings, with one set of forms for
the masculine and feminine, and another for
the neuter
 The syllable –ior is added to the genitive
singular stem of the adjective
 N.B. the ablative sg is –e (not –i as in the 3-3
adjectives) and the neuter nom sg and pl is –a
(not –ia)
 N.B the distinctive neuter nom and accusative
 Superlative Adjective Endings
 The superlative is regular 2-1-2 in form
 The syllables –issim- are added to the genitive
singular stem
 The context usually tells you whether very or
–est/most is the better translation
 Comparison
 There are two ways of expressing a
comparison
 In either, the adverb multo (by much) can be
used to stress the amount of difference
1. A comparative adjective is often followed by
quam (=than). The two people or things being
compared are in the same case.
• dominus stultior est quam servus.
The master is more stupid than the slave (is).
 Comparison
2. A simple comparison (where the items
compared would be in the nominative or
accusative) can be expressed by missing out
quam and putting the second noun in the ablative
(ablative of comparison).
•dominus stultior est servo.
The master is more stupid than the slave.
 Irregular comparatives and
superlatives
miser miserior miserriums
pulcher pulchrior pulcherrimus
celer celerior celerrimus
facilis facilior facillimus
difficilis difficilior difficillimus
bonus melior optimus
malus peior pessimus
magnus maior maximus
parvus minor minimus
multus plus plurimus
multi plures plurimi
 Translate the following (watch
out for irregulars)
 puellae pulcherrimae erant.
 canes celeriores quam puellae sunt.
 hodie melius est laborare quam ridere.
 servus cenam pessimam paravit.
 canis est minor leone.