Latin for Students
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    • Nouns >
      • Case >
        • Nominative case
        • Genitive case
        • Vocative case
        • Locative case
      • Number
      • Gender
      • Declension >
        • First declension
        • Second declension
        • Third declension
        • Fourth declension
        • Fifth declension
    • Pronouns >
      • Personal pronouns
      • Relative pronouns
      • Interrogative pronouns
      • Demonstrative pronouns
      • Reflexive pronouns
    • Adjectives
    • Verbs >
      • Person + Number
      • Tense >
        • The imperfect tenses >
          • Present tense
          • Future tense
          • Imperfect tense
        • The perfect tenses >
          • Perfect tense
          • Pluperfect tense
          • Future perfect tense
      • Infinitives
    • Adverbs
    • Prepositions
    • Conjunctions
  • Helpful tips
    • Tips for memorizing vocabulary
    • Tips for translating
    • Scansion
  • Fun Stuff!
    • Latin insults
    • Names that come from Latin

Nominative case

The nominative case has two uses, subject and predicate nominative.

Subject

In this use, the nominative case shows the subject of a verb. The subject is the noun that does the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence "The dog jumped over the fence," the dog is the subject. The verb is "jumped" and the dog is the subject of that verb, because the dog is the thing that jumped. So, in Latin, any noun that is the subject of a verb will be in nominative case (except with indirect statements). 

When translating a nominative noun, make sure to put it before the verb it goes with - because word order DOES matter in English.

Latin examples:
  • Rana ad flumen venit. --> The frog comes to the river.
  • Vir feminam amavit. --> The man loved the woman.
The nominative subject is in red.

Predicate nominative

The predicate nominative consists of the subject (remember what that is?) and a noun or adjective, which the subject is connected to by a linking verb. The linking verb will always be a form of the verb sum, esse, fui, futurus. Both the subject and the noun or adjective to which it is connected are in the nominative case.

Here are some English examples.
  • The sky is blue.
  • The girl was young.
  • The dog had been sick.
  • The school will be clean.
The subject is in red and the predicate nominative is in purple.
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  • Home
  • About
    • The Site
    • The Creator
  • Grammar
    • Nouns >
      • Case >
        • Nominative case
        • Genitive case
        • Vocative case
        • Locative case
      • Number
      • Gender
      • Declension >
        • First declension
        • Second declension
        • Third declension
        • Fourth declension
        • Fifth declension
    • Pronouns >
      • Personal pronouns
      • Relative pronouns
      • Interrogative pronouns
      • Demonstrative pronouns
      • Reflexive pronouns
    • Adjectives
    • Verbs >
      • Person + Number
      • Tense >
        • The imperfect tenses >
          • Present tense
          • Future tense
          • Imperfect tense
        • The perfect tenses >
          • Perfect tense
          • Pluperfect tense
          • Future perfect tense
      • Infinitives
    • Adverbs
    • Prepositions
    • Conjunctions
  • Helpful tips
    • Tips for memorizing vocabulary
    • Tips for translating
    • Scansion
  • Fun Stuff!
    • Latin insults
    • Names that come from Latin