Essential Vocabulary

Hello everyone! Below, I have attached some of the most common words in Latin.  Taken together, they account for almost half the words in a typical prose text. One of the most tiresome parts of translating is constantly looking up the meanings of certain words, so hopefully, having a large amount attached below will make your translation experience far more enjoyable. The definitions given are illustrative, not exhaustive.  Many of the following words have a large semantic range; so if the given definitions don’t work, look the word up for more options (if you find yourself doing this for a word consistently, let us know below, and we will expand the definitions given). Big thank you to A. Mahoney of Boston University, who in 1999 discovered the most common Latin words (many of which are linked below). Happy memorizing!

Demonstrative Adjectives/ Pronouns:

aliquis, aliquid: the indefinite pronoun, “someone/something, anyone/thing”

aliqui, aliqua(e), aliquod: the indefinite adjective, “some, any”

ego: 1^st singular pronoun

hic, haec, hoc: this

īdem, eadem, idem: the same (is, ea, id + -dem)

ille, illa, illud: that

is, ea, id: this/that, the

iste, ista, istud

nemo, neminis (m/f): nobody, no one

nihil/ nīl (indeclinable): nothing

nos: 1^st plural pronoun

qui, quae, quod: relative pronoun

quidam, quaedam, quoddam: certain, a certain one, a certain something

quis, quid: interrogative pronoun

quisque, quicque/quidque: pronoun, “each and every”

quisque, quaeque, quodque: adjective “each and every”

se:  3^rd person reflexive pronoun

tu:  2^nd singular pronoun 

vos:  2^nd plural pronoun

Conjunctions:

ac, atque (usually ac before consonants, atque before vowels): “and” (joins words, phrases, or clauses of equal weight)

           atque… atque:  “both… and”

an:  joins second part of indirect question (utrum…an)

aut: “or”; aut… aut: “either… or”

autem:  but, yet, however, moreover (stronger than sed)

deinde:  then, next, thereupon

dum:  “while” (usually with indicative), “until” (usually with subjunctive)

enim:  “truly, certainly, indeed”  enim usually doesn’t begin its clause

et:  “and”; et…et… “both… and”

etiam:  “and also, furthermore, likewise, besides”

nam:  “for”

ne: les

nec, neque (usually nec before consonants, neque before vowels):  “and…not”  nec/neque…nec/neque: “neither…nor”

-que:  “and” 

quia:  “because”

quod:  “because” or simply “that”

sed:  “but”

si:  “if”

tamen:  “nevertheless”

tum:  “then”

ut: so that

vel:  “or”  vel…vel: “either…or”

Prepositions taking the ablative:

a/ab, cum, de, e/ex, pro, sine

Prepositions taking the accusative:

ad, ante, contra, inter, per, post, trans

Prepositions taking either case (in different senses):

in, sub

Adverbs (many prepositions can also be used as adverbs; some conjunctions are much like adverbs):

haud:  not at all, by no means (emphatic non)

           haudquaquam: (even more emphatic)

iam:  now, just now, already, soon (indicates time close to the present)

inde:  from that place, thence, thereupon

ita:  in such a way, in this way, thus

modo:  only, merely, but

non:  not

nondum:  not yet

nunc:  now

quam:  how (+positive); than (+comparative); as…as possible (+superlative)

quidem:  indeed

satis:  enough

tam:  so

ubi:  where

unde:  whence

Verbs 

Irregular:

do, dare, dedi, datus: to give; grant

eo, ire, ivi/ii, itus: to go

fero, ferre, tuli, latus:  to bring, bear, carry

fio, fierī, factus sum: to arise, come into being

inquam: to say (used for direct quotes)

nolo, nolle, nolui: to not want

possum, posse, potui: to be able

sto, stāre, stetī, status:  to stand, stand upright, stand still, stand firm

sum, esse, fui, futurus: to be, to exist

volo, velle, volui: to want (usually with a complementary infinitive, not commonly with noun as direct object)

First conjugation (-āre):

amo: to like, love

appello: to call, call upon; to approach with a request (of help)

impero:  to order (+ dat and ind command); to demand (acc)

iuro:  to swear, take an oath

probo:  to try, test, examine; to esteem, approve

puto:  to set in order, arrange; to reckon, count; to think

voco:  to summon, call upon, invoke

First deponent:

conor:  to try

hortor:  to urge, encourage

miror:  to wonder, be amazed at

Second conjugation (-ēre):

debeo, debēre, debuī, debitus:  to owe (acc) to someone (dat); to ought (+inf)

habeo, habēre, habuī, habitus: to have, hold; to consider

moveo, movēre, mōví, motus: to move, put into motion (takes an object)

teneo, tenēre, tenuī, tenitus: to hold, keep

video, vidēre, vīdī, visus: to see; in passive: to seem (+ inf)

Second deponent:

polliceor, pollicērī, pollicitus sum:  to promise

 Third conjugation (-ere):

ago, agere, ēgī, actus: to drive, do; to act

capio, capere, cēpī, captus: to seize, capture

credo, credere, credidī, creditus:  to trust (+dat); to believe (+ indirect speech)

dico, dicere, dixī, dictus: to speak, say

duco, ducere, duxī, ductus: to lead; to think

facio, facere, fēcī; factus: to make, fashion; to do

gero, gerere, gessī, gestus: to bear, carry, have; to wage war (+bellum); to wear (+togam/stolam)

           res gestae, rerum gestārum: deeds (which have an impact on one’s political standing)

incipio, incipere, incēpī, inceptus: to begin

interficio, interficere, interfēcī, interfectus: to kill (to do in)

mitto, mittere, mīsī, missus: to send

occīdo, occidere, occīdī, occisus: to strike down, to cut down

peto, petere, petīvī, petitus: to seek, search; to follow; to attack

pono, ponere, posuī, positus: to place, to set

reddo, reddere, reddidi, redditus:  to give back, return; to give up, to yield 

vivo, vivere, vixi, victus:  to live, to be alive

Third deponent: 

gradior, gradī, gressus sum (in compounds -gredior): to take steps, to go, to walk

loquor, loquī, locutus sum: to talk, to speak

sequor, sequī, secutus sum: to follow, follow after, attend

utor, utī, usus sum: to use, make use of a thing (+abl)

Fourth conjugation (-īre):

audio, audīre, audīvī, auditus: to hear, to listen

scio, scīre, scīvī, scitus: to know

venio, venīre, vēnī, ventus: to come, arrive

Fourth deponent:

potior, potīrī, potitus sum: to acquire, get possession of, gain mastery over (+ gen or abl)

Nouns and Adjectives

mixed declension: These have genitive singular ending –ius, and a singular dative ending –i.  Otherwise they look like first/second declension adjectives.

alius, a, ud: another, other; when repeated: one… another; some… others 

alter, altera, um: the other (of two)

neuter, neutra, um: neither

nullus, a, um: no, not any

solus, a, um:  only, alone

totus, a, um: all, entire

ullus, a, um: one, any

unus, a, um: one (number)

uter, utra, um: either

First declension:

causa: cause, reason, motive; (legal term) judicial process, lawsuit

gloria: glory, fame, renown, honor

terra: land, ground, soil; the earth

First-and-second declension adjectives:

aequus, a, um: even, flat; balanced, fair, equal

amicus, a, um: friendly, kind, favorable (+dat)

bonus, a, um: good, honest, honorable

certus, a, um: fixed, settled, certain

clarus, a, um: clear, bright; famous

dignus, a, um: worthy, suitable, fitting

durus, a, um: hard, harsh, severe

facilis, e: easy, ready

gravis, e: heavy, serious, important

humanus, a, um: human, humane, kind; cultivated

iustus, a, um: just, fair, right

līber, libera, um: free, unrestricted, unrestrained; that which acts according to its own desire

longus, a, um: long, lengthy; far, distant

magnus, a, um: great, large, big; important

malus, a, um: bad, evil, wicked

multus, a, um: much, great, many; multus miles se parat “many a soldier prepares himself”

novus, a, um: new, young, fresh; different, strange; res novae: revolution

nullus, a, um: no, none

omnis, e: all, every

parvus, a, um: little, small

pauci, ae, a: few

primus, a, um: first; foremost

publicus, a, um: belonging to the people, the state, and/or the community

quantus, a, um: how great, how large

sacer, sacra, sacrum: sacred, holy; accursed

salvus, a, um: safe, uninjured, well, sound

solus, a, um: alone, only

tantus, a, um: so great, so large

totus, a, um: whole, entire

verus, a, um: true, real, actual, genuine

Including the possessive adjectives:  meus, noster, tuus, vester, suus

Second declension nouns:

ager: field, land, territory

amicus: friend

animus: soul; reason, intellect; will

annus: year, usually the full year

arma: weapons

[this is a neuter noun that only occurs in the plural]

auxilium: help, aid, assistance

bellum: war

caelum: sky, heaven

consilium: plan, purpose; advice

deus: god, divinity (also dea)

donum: gift, present

equus: horse

exercitus: army

factum: deed, action; achievement

filius: son (also filia)

hortus: garden

hostis: enemy (public enemy)

imperium: the right of command over someone or something else

ingenium: innate or natural quality, nature, character

iter: journey, route, march

iudicium: judgement, court case

locus (can be neuter in the plural): place, space

modus: method, way, manner; measure

natus: son (also nata)

numerus: number, amount

oppidum: town

periculum: danger, risk

populus: a people, the people

principium: beginning, origin; principle

puer: boy

regnum: dominion, rule, authority; kingdom

servus: slave, servant

templum: temple, sacred precinct

tempus: time

verbum: word

vir: man

Third declension:

adulescens, adulescentis (m/f): young person (adolesco: to grow up, mature)

aetas, aetatis (f): period of life, time of life, age

amor, amoris (m): love

caput, capitis (n): head; life; leader, chief

civis, civis (m/f): citizen

civitas, civitatis (f): the citizenry, citizen population; state

cor, cordis (n): heart; mind, feeling

corpus, corporis (n): body (alive or dead); any object composed of parts

crimen, criminis (n): verdict, judgment; crime, accusation

dux, ducis (m/f): leader (from ducere)

gens, gentis (f): clan, family; nation, people

homo, hominis (m): a human being (nemo from ne-homo)

honor, honoris (m): honor, dignity, public office

hostis, hostis (m/f): enemy (public enemy)

ius, iuris (n): right, justice, duty

labor, laboris (m): work, toil; hardship

lex, legis (f): law, statute

mater, matris (f): mother

mens, mentis (f): mind, intellect, thought

miles, militis (m): soldier

mors, mortis (f): death

mos, moris (m): custom, habit; character

mulier, mulieris (f): woman

nomen, nominis (n): name

ops, opis (f): power, might; assistance (sg.); resources, means, wealth (pl., esp. military or political)

ordo, ordinis (m): row, line; rank, status

pater, patris (m): father

potestas, potestatis (f): ability, power; authority

rex, regis (m): king

salus, salutis (f): safety, well-being; salvation

senex, senis (m): old man

sol, solis (m): sun

tempus, temporis (n): time

urbs, urbis (f): city

uxor, uxoris (f): wife

virtus, virtutis (f): bravery, fortitude, virtue (“manliness”)

vis, vis (f): force, power, violence

vulnus, vulneris (n): wound

NOTE: corpus, tempus, and vulnus are similar in that they look as if they’re masculine 2nd declension, but they’re really neuter 3rd declension and they all have stems ending in -r (corporis, temporis, vulneris).  There are many more that behave similarly and they are all neuter.   Likewise, aetas, civitas, potestas are members of another 3rd declension family of nouns which are all feminine; many have English cognates ending in -ty (nobilitas: nobility; libertas: liberty; gravitas: gravity, etc.).  You should also be familiar with the family of nouns that end in -io, -ionis, since they’re almost all feminine and many have exact English cognates that end in ­–ion (actio, actionis: action; natio, nationis: nation; progressio, progressionis: progression, etc.).

Third declension, i-stem:

civis                  civēs

civis                  civium

civī                   civibus

civem               civēs/ civīs

civī/ cive           civibus

civis, civis (m/f): citizen

gens, gentis (f): clan, group of families bound by a blood ancestor

hostis, hostis (m/f): enemy

mare, maris (n): sea

pars, partis (f): part

urbs, urbis (f): city

facilis, e:  easy

gravis, e:  heavy, weighty, important; pregnant

omnis, e: every, all, entire

qualis, e: what sort, what quality

similis, e: similar to, like (+ dat)

talis, e: such a sort, such a quality

also vis (f), which is odd and missing forms.  It translates as “force, violence” in the singular, “strength” in the plural:

vis                    vires

no form            virium

no form            viribus

vim                   vires

vi                      viribus

Fourth declension:

domus:  house (in the city)

manus: hand; band of men

Fifth declension:

dies, diei (m/f): day

facies, faciei (f): face, appearance; form

fides, fidei (f): faith, trustworthiness

res, rei (f): thing, matter, affair

acies, aciei (f): edge; line of battle

effigies, effigiei (f): image, likeness, statue

species, speciei (f): appearance, form; kind, type

spes, spei (f): hope

In Conclusion...

We hope you enjoyed this fairly exhaustive vocabulary list! Please leave any comments, questions, or concerns below, and be sure to recommend future prose, poems, or other aspects of Latin you'd like to see in a later Aeterna Poesis post! Additionally, if you have any more vocabulary words you'd like see slotted in, please leave them below as well.