Chapter 9

Card Design

Color-code Parts of Speech

Card Front

Dictionary Information

Abbreviate

Macrons (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū)

All

Essential (2nd conjugation infinitives)

Additional Resources:

Quizlet

I. Read the words outloud.
It's true that you will never need to speak to an ancient Roman (unless you learn how to time-travel, in which case please bring me along). However, don't underestimate the importance of pronunciation— it's crucial for understanding components of Latin, especially when you learn new endings to form plural nouns and verb tenses.

There's a reason we spend so much time chanting the words in class. Don't just glaze over the words and make a "blah blah" sound in your head. Remember, the letters in Latin follow consistent rules (unlike in English). Review pronunciation rules here.

II. Write the words down.
You don't necessarily need to make your own hand-written flashcards (it still would be a good idea!) but consider having someone else say the words or press the audio buttons while you write down both the Latin word and its English meaning.

III. Pay attention to parts of speech.
Terms are color-coded by parts of speech:

Verbs
Nouns & Pronouns
Prepositions
Adjectives
Adverbs
Conjunctions
Interjections

You will need to provide dictionary information (the elements other than the head word) starting in Chapter 4 and beyond. Knowing a word's part of speech will help you recognize patterns and translate at a faster rate. Trust me.

IV. Draw nouns.
Who said studying has to be boring? Draw pictures of the nouns, and label them in Latin, of course. I am always happy to see students' creativity at work."

V. Act out verbs.
If you need a break from writing, give kinesthetic learning a shot. Say a verb in Latin while acting it out.

VI. Pay extra attention to adverbs and conjunctions !
Students frequently miss these parts of speech on assessments because they are harder to visualize in comparison to nouns, adjectives, and verbs. Honestly, you might just need to chant and write them over and over until they stick.

VII. Beware of hindsight bias.
Often, students make the mistake of thinking that they know the English meanings of words when they really don't.

What happens is that students will flip over a card and recognize the correct answer, but they don't truly know the correct answer. Remember, vocabulary quizzes are NOT multiple choice. They require students to produce the correct answer in writing, not identify the correct answer from a set. So before you hastily flip over a card, make sure that you say or write your answer first. If your answer doesn't match the back of the card, you don't know it well enough.

VIII. Avoid meaningless memorization shortcuts.
Remembering that the Latin word for "to live" (habitō, habitāre) starts with the letter "h" might help you on a quiz in the short term, but what about when you learn habeō, habēre? Making sure you thoroughly know a word will pay off in the long run. This is one reason saying the word outloud is helpful. Account for every syllable and for every letter.

IX. Learn derivatives.
Derivatives are English words that come from Latin words. As it turns out, Latin isn't so dead after all!

Example: An uninhabitable place is where nothing can live. (habitō, habitāre = to live)

The SPA Latin teachers have provided some English derivatives in small gray print on the back side of the cards. You can earn extra points on quizzes by providing these (with correct spelling).

n.b. Sometimes, words change meanings over time, so derivatives might not always be helpful. For example, the English word "trade" comes from the Latin "tradō, tradere" which originally meant "to give," rather than "to exchange." All derivatives provided on this site are "safe."

X. Study English to Latin.
You typically will only have to translate from Latin to English. However, if you study English to Latin, this will help ensure that you know the words really well. This is a more difficult skill that takes longer to achieve, even for Latin teachers.

Chapter 9

ā/ab

(takes ablative)

from, away from

aliī...aliī

some...others

cum

(takes ablative)

with

dē

(takes ablative)

down from

discēdō,
discēd‍ere

to depart

festīnō,
festin‍āre

to hurry/rush

hīc

here

iānua,
iānu‍ae f.

door

derivative: January

(with ablative)

in, on

Cornelia in vīllā rūstica aestāte habitat.

(with accusative)

into

lacrimō,
lacrim‍āre

to cry

derivative: lacrimose

maneō,
man‍ēre

to stay, remain

derivative: mansion

mēcum

with me

note: mecum combines mē + cum (with) into one word

miser,
miser‍a,
miser‍um

unhappy

derivative: immiserate

mittō,
mitt‍ere

to send

derivative: mission

nēmō,
neminis m./f.

no one

nōbīs

for us

nūllus,
nūll‍a,
nūll‍um

no, not any

derivative: nullify

pro

(takes ablative)

for

prōmittō,
prōmitt‍ere

to promise

simul

together, at the same time

derivative: simultaneous

sine

(takes ablative)

without

sub

(takes ablative)

under

suus,
su‍a,
su‍um

his, her, its (own)

tacē!

(to one person)

be quiet!

taceō,
tac‍ēre

to be quiet

derivative: tact

tacēte!

(to multiple people)

be quiet!

temptō,
tempt‍āre

to try

derivative: temptation

teneō,
ten‍ēre

to hold

derivative: container

tuus,
tu‍a,
tu‍um

your

Sort:

Alphabetically

By Parts of Speech

ā/ab

(takes ablative)

from, away from

aliī...aliī

some...others

cum

(takes ablative)

with

dē

(takes ablative)

down from

discēdō,
discēd‍ere

to depart

festīnō,
festin‍āre

to hurry/rush

hīc

here

iānua,
iānu‍ae f.

door

derivative: January

(with ablative)

in, on

(with accusative)

into

lacrimō,
lacrim‍āre

to cry

derivative: lacrimose

maneō,
man‍ēre

to stay, remain

derivative: mansion

mēcum

with me

note: mecum combines mē + cum (with) into one word

miser,
miser‍a,
miser‍um

unhappy

derivative: immiserate

mittō,
mitt‍ere

to send

derivative: mission

nēmō,
neminis m./f.

no one

nōbīs

for us

nūllus,
nūll‍a,
nūll‍um

no, not any

derivative: nullify

pro

(takes ablative)

for

prōmittō,
prōmitt‍ere

to promise

simul

together, at the same time

derivative: simultaneous

sine

(takes ablative)

without

sub

(takes ablative)

under

suus,
su‍a,
su‍um

his, her, its (own)

tacē!

(to one person)

be quiet!

taceō,
tac‍ēre

to be quiet

derivative: tact

tacēte!

(to multiple people)

be quiet!

temptō,
tempt‍āre

to try

derivative: temptation

teneō,
ten‍ēre

to hold

derivative: container

tuus,
tu‍a,
tu‍um

your

Verbs

discēdō,
discēd‍ere

to depart

festīnō,
festin‍āre

to hurry/rush

lacrimō,
lacrim‍āre

to cry

derivative: lacrimose

maneō,
man‍ēre

to stay, remain

derivative: mansion

mittō,
mitt‍ere

to send

derivative: mission

prōmittō,
prōmitt‍ere

to promise

taceō,
tac‍ēre

to be quiet

derivative: tact

temptō,
tempt‍āre

to try

derivative: temptation

teneō,
ten‍ēre

to hold

derivative: container

Verbs (Conjugated)

tacē!

(to one person)

be quiet!

tacēte!

(to multiple people)

be quiet!

Nouns

iānua,
iānu‍ae f.

door

derivative: January

nēmō,
neminis m./f.

no one

nōbīs

for us

Adjectives

aliī...aliī

some...others

miser,
miser‍a,
miser‍um

unhappy

derivative: immiserate

nūllus,
nūll‍a,
nūll‍um

no, not any

derivative: nullify

suus,
su‍a,
su‍um

his, her, its (own)

tuus,
tu‍a,
tu‍um

your

Adverbs

hīc

here

simul

together, at the same time

derivative: simultaneous

Prepositions

ā/ab

(takes ablative)

from, away from

cum

(takes ablative)

with

dē

(takes ablative)

down from

(with ablative)

in, on

(with accusative)

into

pro

(takes ablative)

for

sine

(takes ablative)

without

sub

(takes ablative)

under

Prepositional Phrases

Conjunctions

Composite

mēcum

with me

note: mecum combines mē + cum (with) into one word

Settings

Additional Resources:

Verbs

Verbs (Conjugated)

Nouns

Adjectives

Adverbs

Prepositions

Prepositional Phrases

Conjunctions

Composite

Feeling good?

Take time to review cumulative vocabulary.

Settings

Additional Resources:

Example Sentence

Verbs

Verbs (Conjugated)

Nouns

Adjectives

Adverbs

Prepositions

Prepositional Phrases

Conjunctions

Composite

Feeling good?

Take time to review cumulative vocabulary.