Second declension nouns
Second-declension nouns are the second big noun family, marked by the genitive ending -ī.
Can recognize Second declension nouns 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?
Second-declension nouns are the second big noun family, marked by the genitive ending -ī. Most are masculine and end in -us (servus, slave; amīcus, friend) or -er (puer, boy), though a smaller group is neuter and ends in -um (bellum, war).
Like all Latin nouns, these change their endings to show their job rather than relying on position. The vowel "o/u" runs through the endings, which is why some books call this the "o-declension."
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | servus | servī |
| Genitive | servī | servōrum |
| Dative | servō | servīs |
| Accusative | servum | servōs |
| Ablative | servō | servīs |
Examples:
- Servus dominō pāret. - The slave obeys the master.
- Amīcī puerōrum veniunt. - The boys' friends are coming.
Two watch-points for English speakers. The ending -ī is doing double duty: genitive singular and nominative plural, so read carefully. And beware the pair servō: it serves as both dative ("to the slave") and ablative ("by the slave"), so let the sense of the sentence decide. Do not assume the first -us word is automatically the subject; check whether it might be part of a longer chain.
Marcus reads.
Example for Second declension nouns.
Julia sees the tablet.
A short A1 sentence with visible endings.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises