To, From, and In Cities

📚 Year 9 Latin ⏱️ 25 min 📊 Intermediate

Can you translate this sentence? Click on each word to reveal its meaning.

Starter Sentence:
Rōmam veniō

Breaking it down:

Rōmam → to Rome (wait... where's the preposition?!)
veniō → I come
🤔
Where's the preposition "ad"?
Cities follow special rules...

The Rule with Cities

We've seen how prepositions are used to describe motion to or away from places. But when the name of a city is involved, no preposition is used.

Regular Places
ad īnsulam
to the island
✓ Uses preposition "ad"
✓ Followed by accusative
Cities
Rōmam
to Rome
✗ No preposition!
✓ Just accusative case
The Key Rule
Instead of using a preposition, the city name is used by itself in the appropriate case - the case that the preposition would have needed if one had been used.
🤔 Why no preposition with cities?

Cities were so important in the Roman world that they had their own special grammatical rules. The Romans thought of cities as unique, named locations that didn't need prepositions to show direction - the case ending alone was enough!

Motion TO Cities

When expressing motion towards a city, use the accusative case with no preposition.

➡️
Motion TO
City name in accusative case
Rōmam
to Rome
Example:
Rōmam veniō
I come to Rome
Regular Place
ad templum veniō
I come to the temple
(with preposition)
City
Rōmam veniō
I come to Rome
(no preposition needed)
Remember!
The city name is in the accusative case - the same case that would have been used after "ad" if we were talking about a regular place.

Motion FROM Cities

When expressing motion away from a city, use the ablative case with no preposition.

⬅️
Motion FROM
City name in ablative case
Rōmā
from Rome
Example:
Rōmā nāvigāmus
We sail from Rome
Regular Place
ā templō veniō
I come from the temple
(with preposition "ā/ab")
City
Rōmā veniō
I come from Rome
(no preposition needed)
Remember!
The city name is in the ablative case - the same case that would have been used after "ā/ab" if we were talking about a regular place.

Being IN Cities - The Locative Case

🎭
Plot Twist!

A further surprising rule is that when an action happens in a city, you do not use the preposition "in + ablative" as you would expect. Instead, a special case is used.

📍
Being IN a City
Uses the LOCATIVE case
Rōmae
in Rome / at Rome
📚 What is the locative case?

The locative is a special case that locates the action. In Latin, locus means "place".

For now, the only locative you need to recognise is Rōmae (in/at Rome).

Example:
Rōmae cum amīcō sum
I am in Rome with a friend
⚠️ Important Warning!
Often the locative is the same as the genitive. When translating, you need to work out which it is from the context. Look at what makes sense: "of Rome" or "in Rome"?
Genitive
amīcī Rōmae
friends of Rome
(Rōmae = genitive meaning "of Rome")
Locative
amīcī Rōmae sunt
the friends are in Rome
(Rōmae = locative meaning "in Rome")
How to Tell the Difference
Look at the context! If the sentence is about a location where something is happening, it's probably the locative. If it's showing possession or relationship, it's the genitive.

Summary: All Three Uses

➡️
To
Rōmam
to Rome
(accusative)
⬅️
From
Rōmā
from Rome
(ablative)
📍
In / At
Rōmae
in/at Rome
(locative)
Motion Type
Regular Places
Cities
To
ad + accusative
ad īnsulam
accusative only
Rōmam
From
ā/ab + ablative
ā templō
ablative only
Rōmā
In / At
in + ablative
in villā
locative
Rōmae
The Big Picture
Cities don't use prepositions. Instead, they use the case alone - the same case the preposition would have needed. The only exception is "in", which uses the special locative case.
Exercise 2.32: Translate into English

Click each sentence to reveal the translation.

1. dominus amīcōs Rōmam venīre iubet.
The master orders his friends to come to Rome.
2. villam Rōmae habēmus.
We have a house in Rome.
3. nūntiī Rōmā ad īnsulās veniunt.
The messengers come from Rome to the islands.
4. deī amīcōs Rōmae semper custodiunt.
The gods always guard the friends in Rome.
5. Rōmae in tabernā cum amīcīs sedēre amō.
I like to sit in a tavern with friends in Rome. (or: I like sitting in a tavern with friends in Rome.)
Exercise 2.33: Translate into Latin

Click each sentence to reveal the Latin.

1. We are now sailing to Rome.
nunc Rōmam nāvigāmus.
2. I do not have a house in Rome.
villam Rōmae nōn habeō.
3. The gods are friends of Rome.
deī amīcī Rōmae sunt.
4. The horse carries the messenger away from Rome.
equus nūntium Rōmā portat.
5. The master orders the slave to carry the letter to Rome.
dominus servum epistulam Rōmam portāre iubet.