Vocative case
The vocative case is the form used to address someone directly, to call or name the person you are speaking to.
Can recognize Vocative case 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?
The vocative case is the form used to address someone directly, to call or name the person you are speaking to. When you translate it, it usually comes out as "O..." or simply as the name set off by commas: "Marcus, come here!"
English does not change a name when we call out to it; "Marcus!" looks the same whether it is a subject or a shout. Latin behaves the same way for most nouns: the vocative is identical to the nominative. There is just one common exception worth learning now.
| Noun type | Nominative | Vocative |
|---|---|---|
| 1st decl. | puella | puella (same) |
| 2nd in -us | servus | serve |
| 2nd in -ius | Marcus / fīlius | Marce / fīlī |
So second-declension masculine nouns ending in -us change to -e, and names in -ius end in a single -ī.
- Salvē, amīce! - Hello, friend!
- Quid agis, Marce? - How are you, Marcus?
- Venī, fīlī! - Come, son!
The error to avoid is leaving servus or Marcus unchanged when addressing someone. Roman Latin says serve and Marce. Everywhere else, if a noun is not one of these -us/-ius types, the vocative simply matches the nominative.
Marcus reads.
Example for Vocative case.
Julia sees the tablet.
A short A1 sentence with visible endings.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises