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?
The master sends the slaves into the field.
The boy gives the book to the teacher.
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:
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.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesThe master sends the slaves into the field.
Dominus is the subject, servos the plural object. Two endings carry what English shows with word order.
The boy gives the book to the teacher.
Puer keeps its e in the genitive (pueri); ager loses it (agri). The dictionary form of the genitive is the only way to know.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises