Adverbs of time tell you when something happens: yesterday, today, tomorrow, often, now.
Can recognize Adverbs of time in a short Latin prompt
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Today we were at the baths, yesterday at the forum.
We are leaving tomorrow morning.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Adverbs of time tell you when something happens: yesterday, today, tomorrow, often, now. They are short, unchanging words, and because they never take endings they are easy wins for a beginning reader. They also anchor the tense of a passage, so noticing them helps you decide whether a verb is past, present, or looking ahead.
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| heri | yesterday |
| hodie | today |
| cras | tomorrow |
| mane | in the morning |
| vespere | in the evening |
| nunc | now |
| saepe | often |
| semper | always |
Examples:
For English speakers: in English an adverb of time usually sits at the front or the very end of the clause ("Yesterday I was there"). In Latin it can drop in almost anywhere, and it will often sit right before the verb: Mārcus hodiē venit = "Mārcus is coming today." Do not expect it in a fixed slot. Also do not try to add a preposition: māne already means "in the morning" by itself, with no in attached. Let these words fix the time frame, then read the verb ending for the person.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesToday we were at the baths, yesterday at the forum.
Hodie and heri are adverbs and never change form. The baths were Rome's main social space, not merely a place to wash.
We are leaving tomorrow morning.
Cras and mane sit side by side with no preposition, like 'tomorrow morning'. Note too that the present tense carries future meaning, as in English 'we leave tomorrow'.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises