Latin for Beginners · Lesson XLI · Part 8: The third declension completed
41. Third declension: neuter nouns like flūmen and caput
Goal: Your child can decline the neuter third-declension nouns flūmen, tempus, opus and caput, and translate sentences that use them.
You'll need
- The book: the lesson pages, plus the special vocabulary at the back of the book
- A notebook and pencil
- Index cards for new words
What's in the book
The rule for neuter consonant stems (§ 238) with the full declension of flūmen, tempus, opus and caput, then ten Latin sentences and five English ones. The new words are in the special vocabulary at the back (page 292).
The lesson, step by step
Warm up
Have your child decline one masculine third-declension noun from the last lesson aloud, such as mīles or rēx. Ask which ending marks the genitive singular (-is).
The new idea
Neuter nouns of the third declension follow the same endings you already know, with two neuter habits: nothing is added in the nominative, and the nominative and accusative are always the same. In the plural those two cases end in -a.
Neuter consonant stems add no termination in the nominative
The genitive shows the real base: flūmen becomes flūmin-, tempus becomes tempor-, caput becomes capit-.
Say the forms aloud
Read the flūmen column together, then your child reads it alone.
flūmen, flūminis, flūminī, flūmen, flūmine
flūmina, flūminum, flūminibus, flūmina, flūminibus
Then do caput the same way, starting from caput, capitis.
Vocabulary
Turn to page 292 at the back of the book. A few of the words:
caput, capitis, n., head (capital)
flūmen, flūminis, n., river (flume)
tempus, temporis, n., time (temporal)
opus, operis, n., work, task
accipiō, accipere, accēpī, acceptus, receive, accept
Make a card for each word. Say the nominative and genitive together every time.
Latin to English
Work through the ten Latin sentences. Two of them:
Rōmānī multās calamitātēs ā barbarīs accēpērunt.
Imperātor sagittā in capite vulnerātus erat et stāre nōn poterat.
For each noun, ask: what case is it, and why?
English to Latin
Do the five English sentences in writing. Check every neuter noun: if it is the object, it looks just like the nominative.
Wrap-up
Your child declines tempus from memory, singular and plural. Memorize: the flūmen paradigm and the new words.
Afterwards
Review the new word cards each day. Decline opus and caput aloud once more tomorrow.
Tip
If the plural endings get mixed up, remember the neuter rule from the second declension: nominative and accusative plural always end in -a.
Answers to the book's problems
1. When the barbarians took Rome, they destroyed the greatest works of the kings. 2. The Romans received many disasters from the barbarians. 3. When there was the greatest terror among the townspeople, their wavering spirits were strengthened by a famous orator. 4. Rome is on the banks of a great river. 5. When the general Caesar ordered his soldiers to take up arms, they could not be held back from battle. 6. When the battle had been fought, the general could not be found. 7. The general had been wounded in the head by an arrow and could not stand. 8. A foot soldier carried him out of the battle with great toil. 9. He held the general in his arms and saved him from the greatest dangers. 10. Because of his courage the good soldier received a crown from the general.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.