Nominative and Accusative Singular

What is a Case?

In Latin, nouns change their endings to show what job they're doing in the sentence. These different forms are called cases. Think of it like giving each noun a uniform that shows its role - just like how a referee wears stripes and a goalkeeper wears different colored gloves!

Today we'll learn about the two most important cases: the nominative (for subjects doing the action) and the accusative (for objects receiving the action).

The Two Cases

First and Second Declension Patterns

Latin nouns are organised into groups called declensions - like verb conjugations, but for nouns! Each declension has its own pattern of endings. The first declension is mostly feminine nouns, whilst the second declension is mostly masculine nouns.

Noun Cases: First and Second Declensions

Here are the patterns for both declensions. Notice how the stem stays the same, but the endings change to show the noun's job in the sentence:

Common Nouns from Both Declensions

Here are some useful nouns from both declensions. Click each card to see both cases:

Putting it All Together

Now let's see both declensions working together in sentences. Remember to look for the pattern: Subject (nominative) → Verb → Object (accusative).

Practice Exercises