Latin adjectives can belong to the 1st and the 2nd declension (adjectives in -us, most adjectives in -er) or the 3rd declension (adjectives with other endings).
Following words are declined like adjectives:
- possessive determiners : meus, tuus, suus, noster, voster (the 1st and the 2nd declension)
-
demonstrative pronouns (with modifications - see the link)
- and some other pronominal adjectives : ullus, nullus, uter, neuter, solus, unus, totus, alter, alius.
Adjectives in -us, -a, -um
They are declined according to the 2nd declension in masculine and neuter gender, and to the 1st declension in feminine. Examples : magnus, bonus, possessive words : meus, tuus, suus:
magnus, magna, magnum : singular
case | masculinum | femininum | neutrum |
nom. | magnus | magna | magnum |
voc. | magne | magna | magnum |
acc. | magnum | magnam | magnum |
gen. | magni | magnae | magni |
dat. | magno | magnae | magno |
abl. | magno | magna | magno |
Plural:
case | masculinum | femininum | neutrum |
nom. voc. | magni | magnae | magna |
acc. | magnos | magnas | magna |
gen. | magnorum | magnarum | magnorum |
dat. abl. | magnis | magnis | magnis |
The word "meus" (my) has a unique vocative "mi" : mi fili - my son.
Adjectives in -er, -(e)ra, -(e)rum
They are declined according to the 2nd declension in masculine and neuter gender, and to the 1st declension in feminine. Examples : sacer, dexter, miser, possessive words : noster, vester. Some of them lose -e- before all endings, some of them maintain it : sacer, sacra, sacrum, noster, nostra, nostrum, but : miser, misera, miserum, alter, altera, alterum:
sacer, sacra, sacrum : singular
case | masculinum | femininum | neutrum |
nom. voc. | sacer | sacra | sacrum |
acc. | sacrum | sacram | sacrum |
gen. | sacri | sacrae | sacri |
dat. | sacro | sacrae | sacro |
abl. | sacro | sacra | sacro |
Plural:
case | masculinum | femininum | neutrum |
nom. voc. | sacri | sacrae | sacra |
acc. | sacros | sacras | sacra |
gen. | sacrorum | sacrarum | sacrorum |
dat. abl. | sacris | sacris | sacris |
Peculiarities of pronominal adjectives
Pronominal adjectives ullus, nullus, uter, neuter, solus, unus, totus, alter, alius have irregular genitive singular in -ius and dat. sing. in -i in all genders :
gen. sg. : ullius, nullius, utrius, neutrius, solius, unius, totius, alterius, alius / alterius.
dat. sg. : ulli, nulli, utri, neutri, soli, uni, toti, alteri, alii.
Alius has two more specific forms : nom. acc. voc. neutri "aliud", its genitive alius is also often replaced with alterius.
Adjectives with other endings (3rd declension)
Adjectives with other endings (like omnis) are declined differently, according to the 3rd declension. The adjectives of 3rd declension have different forms in nom.voc.sing. (and acc.sg. neutri) and all other cases. They often change the form in gen. sing. Their gen. sing. has the ending -is.
Other forms can be formed on the basis of the genitive : -is changes to -i in dat. and abl. sg., -em in acc.sg. masc. fem., -es in nom. acc. voc. plur. masc.fem., -ia in nom. acc.voc. plur. neutri, -ium in gen.plur., -ibus in dat.abl.plur.
omnis, omnis, omne
case | masc. fem. sg. | neutrum sg. | masc.fem.pl. | neutrum pl. |
nom. voc. | omnis | omne | omnes | omnia |
acc. | omnem | omne | omnes | omnia |
gen. | omnis | | omnium | |
dat.abl. | omni | | omnibus | |
Nom. sg. of 3rd declension adjectives can have two forms (omnis, omne), one form only - especially adjectives in -ens (ingens) or 3 forms (relatively rare situation).
ingens
case | masc. fem. sg. | neutrum sg. | masc.fem.pl. | neutrum pl. |
nom. voc. | ingens | ingens | ingentes | ingentia |
acc. | ingentem | ingens | ingentes | ingentia |
gen. | ingentis | | ingentium | |
dat.abl. | ingenti | | ingentibus | |
The adjectives in comparative have two forms in nom. sing. -or and -us (superior, superius). They have abl. sing. in -e (superiore), nom. plur. neutri in -a (not -ia : superiora) and gen. plur. in -um (superiorum).
superior, superius
case | masc. fem. sg. | neutrum sg. | masc.fem.pl. | neutrum pl. |
nom. voc. | superior | superius | superiores | superiora |
acc. | superiorem | superius | superiores | superiora |
gen. | superioris | | superiorum | |
dat. | superiori | | superioribus | |
abl. | superiore | | superioribus | |