Language/Latin/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion

Latin Grammar - Give your Opinion

Hi Latin learners! 😊

In this lesson, we will be discussing how to express your opinion in Latin using various grammar structures. We will also include cultural information and interesting facts to help you understand and remember the lesson better. Don't forget to use Polyglot Club to find native speakers and ask them any questions you may have.

The Basics

Before we dive into expressing opinions, let's review some basic grammar structures. Latin is an inflected language, meaning that the endings of words change depending on their function in the sentence. In Latin, the word order is flexible, and the function of words is determined by their endings.

Here are some essential concepts to keep in mind when expressing opinions in Latin:

Nouns and Adjectives

Nouns in Latin have different forms, or cases, that indicate their grammatical function in a sentence. Adjectives also have different forms to match the noun they modify in case, gender, and number.

For instance, the noun "puer" (boy) has the following forms:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
puer	/pu.ɛr/	boy (nominative)
pueri	/pu.ɛ.ri/	of the boy (genitive)
puero	/pu.ɛ.ro/	to/for the boy (dative)
pueros	/pu.ɛ.ros/	the boy (accusative)
pueris	/pu.ɛ.ris/	by/with/from/to the boy (ablative)

Adjectives must match the noun they modify in gender, case, and number. For example, the adjective "bonus" (good) will change as follows:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
bonus	/bo.nus/	good (masculine singular nominative)
boni	/bo.ni/	good (masculine plural nominative)
bonum	/bo.num/	good (neuter singular nominative)
bonorum	/bo.no.rum/	of the good (masculine/neuter plural genitive)
bono	/bo.no/	to/for the good (masculine/neuter singular dative)
bona	/bo.na/	good (feminine singular nominative)
bonae	/bo.nae/	good (feminine plural nominative)
bonarum	/bo.na.rum/	of the good (feminine plural genitive)

Verbs

Verbs in Latin have different tenses, indicating when the action occurs, and different voices, indicating the relationship between the subject, verb, and object. In Latin, the verb comes at the end of the sentence.

For example, the verb "amo" (I love) has the following forms:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
amo	/a.mo/	I love (present indicative active)
amas	/a.mas/	you love (present indicative active)
amat	/a.mat/	he/she/it loves (present indicative active)
amamus	/a.ma.mus/	we love (present indicative active)
amatis	/a.ma.tis/	you love (present indicative active)
amant	/a.mant/	they love (present indicative active)

Expressing Opinions

To express an opinion in Latin, you can use the following structures:

Dative of Reference

The dative of reference is used to express the person or thing for whom something is good or bad. It is usually preceded by "est" to mean "is." Here's an example:

• Jaquelinea est magistra bona discipulis. (Jaquelinea is a good teacher for the students.)

In this sentence, "magistra" (teacher) is in the nominative case, "bona" (good) is in the accusative case, and "discipulis" (students) is in the dative case, indicating the person for whom Jaquelinea is a good teacher.

Subjunctive with "ut" or "ne"

The subjunctive is a mood in Latin that expresses various states of unreality, such as doubt, desire, and opinion. It is usually introduced by "ut" (that) or "ne" (that not).

• Uîs ut rex pereat. (I wish that the king would perish.)

In this sentence, "uîs" (I wish) introduces the subjunctive form of "perish."

Accusative and Infinitive Construction

The accusative and infinitive construction is used to report opinions, beliefs, and thoughts, and it typically follows verbs of thinking, saying, and perceiving.

• Scio Cæsarem fortissimum esse. (I know that Caesar is brave.)

In this sentence, "scio" (I know) is followed by the accusative case "Cæsarem" (Caesar) and the infinitive "esse" (to be).

Indirect Statement

The indirect statement is used to report what someone says or thinks. This structure requires a verb of speaking, and the reported statement is introduced by the conjunction "that."

• Dīcit Cæsarem fortissimum esse. (He says that Caesar is brave.)

In this sentence, "dīcit" (he says) introduces the indirect statement, which includes the accusative case "Cæsarem" (Caesar) and the infinitive "esse" (to be).

Examples

Now, let's see some examples of how these structures can be used in context:

Dialogue 1

• Person 1: Quid tibi videtur de discipulis nostris? (What do you think about our students?)
• Person 2: Discipuli tui optimi sunt. (Your students are the best.)

In this dialogue, "tibi" (to you) is in the dative case, and "optimi" (the best) is in the nominative case to match "discipuli" (students).

Dialogue 2

• Person 1: Utinam discipulus meus poētās auderet imitārī! (I wish my student would dare to imitate the poets!)
• Person 2: Cave nē infortunium patiātur. (Beware that he might suffer misfortune.)

In this dialogue, "utinam" (I wish) introduces the subjunctive "daret" (would dare) and "nē" (that not) introduces the subjunctive "patiātur" (might suffer).

Conclusion

Latin offers various structures to express your opinion. Remember to keep in mind the inflected nature of the language and the flexible word order. Cultural information and interesting facts can always help you understand and remember the lesson better.

If you want to improve further your Latin Grammar, don't hesitate to visit our page on Polyglot Club [1]. Moreover, you can use this link to find native speakers and ask them any questions you may have.

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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: Gender & Adjectives.

Other Lessons

• Plurals
• Conditional Mood
• Past Tense
• Negation
• Latin Nouns
• Questions
• Gender
• Future Tense
• Latin Articles
• How to Use Be

Sources

• Top 10 Reasons for Studying Latin | Memoria Press
• Opinion | Back to Latin - The New York Times