Latin declensions: charts for all five
In short
Latin nouns follow five declensions: the 1st (a-stems), 2nd (o-stems), 3rd (consonant and i-stems), 4th (u-stems) and 5th (e-stems). The genitive singular tells you which one: -ae, -i, -is, -us or -ei. Once you know the endings of the five main cases in singular and plural, you can see in a sentence who is doing what.
Which declension? The genitive gives it away
Dictionaries and vocabulary lists give the nominative and genitive singular plus the gender – for example ancilla, ancillae f. The genitive shows the declension and the stem:
| Declension | Genitive sg. | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1st declension (a-stems) | -ae | ancilla, ancillae (maid) |
| 2nd declension (o-stems) | -i | servus, servi (slave); templum, templi (temple) |
| 3rd declension (consonant and i-stems) | -is | labor, laboris (work); navis, navis (ship) |
| 4th declension (u-stems) | -us | exercitus, exercitus (army) |
| 5th declension (e-stems) | -ei | res, rei (thing) |
The genitive also gives you the stem to which the endings are added: labor, labor-is, but corpus, corpor-is.
1st and 2nd declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ancilla | ancillae |
| Genitive | ancillae | ancillarum |
| Dative | ancillae | ancillis |
| Accusative | ancillam | ancillas |
| Ablative | ancilla | ancillis |
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | servus | servi |
| Genitive | servi | servorum |
| Dative | servo | servis |
| Accusative | servum | servos |
| Ablative | servo | servis |
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | templum | templa |
| Genitive | templi | templorum |
| Dative | templo | templis |
| Accusative | templum | templa |
| Ablative | templo | templis |
The vocative (used to address someone) is almost always the same as the nominative; only words in -us of the 2nd declension end in -e: serve! Proper names in -ius and filius end in -i: fili!, Iuli! Words in -er such as puer, pueri or ager, agri also belong to the 2nd declension.
3rd declension: consonant and i-stems
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | labor | labores |
| Genitive | laboris | laborum |
| Dative | labori | laboribus |
| Accusative | laborem | labores |
| Ablative | labore | laboribus |
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | corpus | corpora |
| Genitive | corporis | corporum |
| Dative | corpori | corporibus |
| Accusative | corpus | corpora |
| Ablative | corpore | corporibus |
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | navis | naves |
| Genitive | navis | navium |
| Dative | navi | navibus |
| Accusative | navem | naves |
| Ablative | nave | navibus |
With i-stems the genitive plural ends in -ium. Some words also keep the i in the accusative and ablative singular, such as turris, turrim, turri (tower); neuters in -e, -al, -ar such as mare (sea) form mari, maria, marium.
4th and 5th declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | exercitus | exercitus |
| Genitive | exercitus | exercituum |
| Dative | exercitui | exercitibus |
| Accusative | exercitum | exercitus |
| Ablative | exercitu | exercitibus |
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | res | res |
| Genitive | rei | rerum |
| Dative | rei | rebus |
| Accusative | rem | res |
| Ablative | re | rebus |
The endings learners mix up most often
- -is can be dative or ablative plural of the 1st and 2nd declension (ancillis, servis) – or nominative or genitive singular of the 3rd declension (navis, laboris).
- -ae is genitive or dative singular or nominative plural (ancillae).
- -us appears in the nominative of the 2nd declension (servus), in several cases of the 4th declension (exercitus) and in neuters of the 3rd declension (corpus).
- -um is nominative or accusative singular (templum, servum) or genitive plural of the 3rd declension (laborum).
- Neuters have the same form in the nominative and accusative, and in the plural these always end in -a.
That is why it pays not to identify a form on its own but within the sentence: which word agrees with it in case, number and gender, and what does the verb require?
Try it
A real exercise from Disce ludens:
Disce ludens I · Lesson 14 · The genitive, card 3
The card shows a chart with the nominative, genitive, dative and accusative, singular and plural, of ancilla, servus, spes and labor. What is the corresponding plural form of campi (field)?
Error points: 0
© Disce ludensWhat Disce ludens does – and what it doesn’t
What Disce ludens does
- Practises each case separately – nominative, accusative, dative, genitive, ablative – in lessons of its own.
- Has you fill in all cases in charts in lesson 27 and practise agreement in lesson 28.
- Helps with graded hints when an ending won’t stick.
What it doesn’t do
- Is not available in English – the app is in German.
- Does not replace a reference grammar with all the exceptions.
- Does not show vowel length marks (macrons).
- Does not explain every rare form; it concentrates on what is taught at school.
Frequently asked questions
How many declensions are there in Latin?
Five: the 1st (a-stems), 2nd (o-stems), 3rd (consonant and i-stems), 4th (u-stems) and 5th (e-stems). Consonant stems and i-stems together form the 3rd declension.
How do I tell which declension a word belongs to?
By the genitive singular, which every vocabulary list gives: -ae, -i, -is, -us or -ei.
Why is the ending -is so tricky?
Because it can be dative or ablative plural of the 1st and 2nd declension, but also nominative or genitive singular of the 3rd declension (navis, laboris). Only the context of the sentence settles the case.
Does Latin have a vocative?
Yes, for addressing someone. It is almost always the same as the nominative; only words in -us of the 2nd declension end in -e in the vocative, such as serve; proper names in -ius and filius end in -i, such as Iuli or fili.