Prepositions with ablative
A second group of Latin prepositions takes the ablative case rather than the accusative.
Can recognize Prepositions with ablative in a short Latin prompt
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Marcus reads.
Julia sees the tablet.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
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.
Marcus reads.
Example for Prepositions with ablative.
Julia sees the tablet.
A short A1 sentence with visible endings.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises