LESSON 1.6
Prepositions with the Accusative
Adding detail about location and movement
What Are Prepositions?
Prepositions are little words that sit in front of nouns to tell us more about where, when, or how something happens. In English, these are words like 'in', 'on', 'to', 'from', 'with', 'through' - they position things in relation to each other (that's why they're called pre-positions - they're positioned before the noun!).
Without prepositions, we could only say basic things like "The boy walks". With prepositions, we can say "The boy walks to the forum" or "The boy walks through the garden". They add the detail that makes sentences interesting!
Key concept: In Latin, every preposition requires its noun to be in a specific
case. The prepositions we're learning today all take the accusative case.
Why Do These Take the Accusative?
Remember how the accusative shows the target or goal of an action? When you say "I kick the ball", the ball is the target. Well, many prepositions work the same way - they show movement towards a target or goal.
Think about it: "I walk to the forum" - the forum is your target destination. "I go through the door" - the door is what you're targeting to pass through. The accusative case already carries this "targeting" meaning, and these prepositions focus and refine it.
Remember: Accusative = targeting/motion towards. Many prepositions that show
movement or direction use the accusative.
Five Key Prepositions
Here are five important prepositions that take the accusative. Click each card to reveal its meaning:
→
ad
🔄
circum
⚔️
contra
📍
in
➡️
per
Notice: Most of these express motion or direction - ad (towards), circum (around),
in (into), per (through). Even contra (against) implies movement or position towards something!
Prepositions in Context
Let's see how these prepositions work with nouns. Remember, the noun after the preposition must be in the accusative case:
| Preposition | + Accusative Noun | Phrase Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ad |
ad villam
|
to the house
|
| circum |
circum forum
|
around the forum
|
| contra |
contra dominos
|
against the masters
|
| in |
in hortum
|
into the garden
|
| per |
per vias
|
through the streets
|
Complete Sentences
Now let's see these prepositions in full sentences. Click to reveal the translations:
Prepositions in Action
servi ad insulam navigant.
puella circum hortum ambulat.
domini contra servos pugnant.
ancillae in villam festinant.
amicus per forum ambulat.
Word order tip: In Latin, the preposition usually comes right before its noun,
just like in English. The whole prepositional phrase can move around the sentence, but the
preposition and its noun stick together.
Practice Activities
Exercise 1.24: Add the Preposition
Exercise 1.25: Translation Practice
Exercise 1.26: English to Latin