A second group of Latin prepositions takes the ablative case rather than the accusative.
Can recognize Prepositions with ablative in a short Latin prompt
Schau dir diese Beispiele an. Kannst du das grammatische Muster erkennen?
We left the city with friends.
There are many people in the forum.
Achte auf die hervorgehobenen Teile. Was haben sie gemeinsam?
A second group of Latin prepositions takes the ablative case rather than the accusative. These usually express place where something is, or movement away from it, or company and means - the ideas behind "in", "from", and "with". Knowing which prepositions belong to this group lets you read the noun ending correctly and grasp the relationship at once.
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in (+ abl.) | in, on | in villa - in the house |
| cum | with | cum amico - with a friend |
| ex / e | out of, from | ex urbe - out of the city |
| sine | without | sine aqua - without water |
Examples: In horto sedemus. - We are sitting in the garden. Cum matre ambulat. - She is walking with her mother.
For English speakers: the challenge is that English "in" and "with" give no signal about case, but Latin does. Remember that in plus the ablative means staying put ("in", in villa), while in plus the accusative means moving into ("into", in villam) - the noun ending decides. Also note that Latin cum attaches to the front of pronouns, giving mecum ("with me") and tecum ("with you") rather than "cum me". When you see one of these prepositions, expect the ablative ending that follows.
Wende diese Grammatik in den Übungen des Kurses A1 an
ÜbungsaufgabenWe left the city with friends.
Ex and cum both take the ablative - one for origin, one for accompaniment.
There are many people in the forum.
In with the ablative means 'in'; in with the accusative means 'into'. The case, not the preposition, carries the difference.
Im Kurs üben
Wende diese Grammatik in den Übungen des Kurses A1 an