Subject omission means Latin often drops the "I", "you", "he", or "she" that English insists on.
Can recognize Subject omission in a short Latin prompt
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
I read, I write, I learn.
How are you? I am well.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Subject omission means Latin often drops the "I", "you", "he", or "she" that English insists on. The verb ending already carries the person, so a complete sentence can be a single word. Building this habit early is what lets you read Latin without stalling.
The clue lives at the end of the verb. In the present tense the personal endings are:
| Ending | Person | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -o / -m | I | amo (I love) |
| -s | you (sing.) | amas (you love) |
| -t | he / she / it | amat (he loves) |
| -mus | we | amamus (we love) |
| -tis | you (pl.) | amatis (you all love) |
| -nt | they | amant (they love) |
Examples:
For English speakers: your instinct is to hunt for a separate subject word and to feel a sentence is broken without one. Resist that. When Latin does add a pronoun such as ego (I) or tu (you), it is usually for emphasis or contrast: Ego laboro, tu dormis = "I work, you sleep." So do not treat every pronoun as stressed, and never wait for a subject noun that will never arrive. Read the verb ending first and you already know who is acting.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesI read, I write, I learn.
No pronouns at all: the -o ending names the speaker. English needs 'I' three times.
How are you? I am well.
Agis and valeo carry their subjects in the ending. A pronoun would appear only under contrast.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises