A preposition is a word that comes before a noun, verb, or adjective and expresses some kind of relationship. Often, prepositions are used to describe where something is in reference to something else - in time (after, before) or in space (behind, above, below).
Here are some examples of prepositions in English:
A preposition always has an object, which is the word or group of words it modifies. Together, a preposition and its object are called a prepositional phrase. In Latin, The object of a preposition almost always comes directly after the preposition itself (and in English, it always does.) Prepositions in Latin only take objects in the accusative and ablative case.
Here are some examples of prepositional phrases.
There are exactly eight prepositions in Latin that take objects in the ablative case. They are:
Some people use the acronym SID SPACE to help them remember these prepositions
Sub
In
De
Sine
Pro
A/ab
Cum
E/ex
All other prepositions take objects in the accusative case. The prepositons in*, sub (under), super (over), and subter (under) can take both accusative and ablative objects.
*Make sure to remember this: the preposition in does not mean the same thing with an ablative object as it does with an accusative object.
Here are some examples of prepositions in English:
- with
- without
- to
- towards
- beside
- under
- above
- after
- before
A preposition always has an object, which is the word or group of words it modifies. Together, a preposition and its object are called a prepositional phrase. In Latin, The object of a preposition almost always comes directly after the preposition itself (and in English, it always does.) Prepositions in Latin only take objects in the accusative and ablative case.
Here are some examples of prepositional phrases.
- sub mari --> under the sea
- in casa --> in the house
- ad oppidum --> towards the town
There are exactly eight prepositions in Latin that take objects in the ablative case. They are:
- sub
- in
- de
- sine
- pro
- a/ab
- cum
- e/ex
Some people use the acronym SID SPACE to help them remember these prepositions
Sub
In
De
Sine
Pro
A/ab
Cum
E/ex
All other prepositions take objects in the accusative case. The prepositons in*, sub (under), super (over), and subter (under) can take both accusative and ablative objects.
*Make sure to remember this: the preposition in does not mean the same thing with an ablative object as it does with an accusative object.
- If in takes an object in the accusative case, it means "into" or "onto."
- ex: Puella in casam venit. --> The girl came into the house.
- If in takes an object in the ablative case, It means "in" or "on."
- Poeta in oppido habitat. --> The poet dwells in the town.