Language/Latin/Grammar/Pronouns

Latin Grammar - Pronouns

Hi Latin learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will dive into the world of pronouns in Latin. Pronouns are essential to master the Latin language, as they are used to replace nouns in a sentence, making it easier and more concise. So let's get started!

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Definite Articles in Latin, Indefinite Articles in Latin, Possessive Case in Latin & Noun Declensions.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are used to replace nouns referring to people, animals, or things. Let's have a look at the personal pronouns in Latin:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
ego	/ˈeɡoː/	I, me
tu	/tuː/	you
is, ea, id	/is, ɛa, id/	he, she, it
nos	/noːs/	we, us
vos	/woːs/	you all
ei, eae, ea	/ɛi, ɛaɛ, ɛa/	they

For example:

• Person 1: Cur ego discipulus sum? (/kur ˈɛɡoː diˈkɪpuluːs sʊm/ ~ Why am I a student?)
• Person 2: Quia tu studes. (/kwi.a tuː ˈstuːdɛs/ ~ Because you study.)

Notice the use of the personal pronouns here, replacing the nouns "I" and "you".

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out or identify a specific person, place, or thing.

The demonstrative pronouns in Latin are:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
hic, haec, hoc	/hik, haek, hɔk/	this
is, ea, id	/is, ɛa, id/	that
ille, illa, illud	/ˈɪl.lɛ, ˈɪl.la, ˈɪl.lʊd/	that (far)

For example:

• Person 1: Hic liber meus est. (/hik li.bɛr mɛus ɛst/ ~ This is my book.)
• Person 2: Ille liber Marcus. (/ˈɪl.lɛ ˈli.bɛr ˈmar.kus/ ~ That book is Marcus'.)

Notice how "hic" and "ille" are used to point out a specific book, while "is" refers to a book that has already been mentioned and "ea" and "id" can be used for objects regardless of gender.

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns are used to introduce a subordinate clause, providing more information about the main clause.

The relative pronouns in Latin are:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
qui, quae, quod	/kwi, kwaɛ, kwɔd/	who, which

For example:

• Person 1: Puella, quae in via est, est mea soror. (/ˈpuː.ɛl.la, kwaɛ ɪn ˈwi.a ɛst, ɛst ˈme.a ˈsɔ.ror/ ~ The girl who is in the street is my sister.)
• Person 2: Marcus, cuius pater in Italia habitat, est bonus vir. (/ˈmar.kus, ˈkwi.ʊs ˈpa.tɛr ɪn i.ˈta.lɪ.a ˈha.bi.tat, ɛst ˈbo.nus ˈwɪr/ ~ Marcus, whose father lives in Italy, is a good man.)

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.

The interrogative pronouns in Latin are:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
quis, quae, quid	/kwɪs, kwɛ, kwɪd/	who, what
ubi	/ˈu.bɪ/	where

For example:

• Person 1: Quis is est? (/kwɪs is ɛst/ ~ Who is he?)
• Person 2: Est Marcus, filius meus. (/ɛst ˈmar.kus, ˈfi.lɪ.ʊs ˈme.us/ ~ He is Marcus, my son.)

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are used to refer to an unspecified person or thing, or to express general or uncertain ideas.

The indefinite pronouns in Latin are:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
aliquis, aliqua, aliquid	/a.ˈlɪ.kʷɪs, a.ˈli.kwa, a.ˈlɪ.kʷɪd/	someone, something
quisquam, quidquam	/ˈkʷɪs.kʷam, ˈkwɪd.kʷam/	anyone, anything
quisque	/ˈkʷɪs.kʷɛ/	everyone, everything

For example:

• Person 1: Vis aliquid bibere? (/wɪs a.ˈlɪ.kʷɪd.bɪ.ˈbe.rɛ/ ~ Do you want something to drink?)
• Person 2: Non, nihil volo. (/noːn, ˈni.hɪl ˈwo.loː/ ~ No, I don't want anything.)

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used to refer back to the subject of the sentence.

The reflexive pronouns in Latin are:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
egoipsum	/e.ˈɡoɪp.sʊm/	myself
teipsum	/tɛ.ˈɪp.sʊm/	yourself
sese	/ˈsɛ.sɛ/	himself, herself, itself
nosmetipsos	/noːs.ˈme.tɪp.sos/	ourselves
vestrametipsam	/ˈwɛs.tram.əˈtɪp.səm/	yourselves
se	/sɛ/	themselves

For example:

• Person 1: Egoipsum iratus sum. (/e.ˈɡoɪp.sʊm i.ˈra.tʊs sʊm/ ~ I am angry with myself.)
• Person 2: Cur? (/kur/ ~ Why?)

Summary

In this lesson, we learned the different types of pronouns in Latin, including personal, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, indefinite, and reflexive pronouns. Practice is key when it comes to mastering pronouns, so don't be afraid to make mistakes and ask questions. To further improve your Latin Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

---

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Pronouns - Latin
• Latin grammar - Wikipedia
• Latin Personal Pronouns: Declension Table

Other Lessons

• Possessive Case in Latin
• Parts of speech Latin
• Definite Articles in Latin
• Plurals
• How to Use Be
• Latin Nouns
• Prepositions
• Past Participle in Latin
• How to Use Have
• Conditional Mood