Latin from scratch #1: Our first translation from Latin

In the first module of the Latin from Scratch course, we’ll learn the indispensable theory to get to our first morphosyntactic analysis and our first translations from Latin into English. Indeed, soon enough we’ll be translating our first sentences. 😉

With this purpose we’ll have a little introduction, we’ll study what cases are and what their main syntactic functions are, we’ll learn how to classify nouns into the five Latin declensions, we’ll study the morphology of the first declension, and we’ll start to learn the verbal morphology with the basic endings and the active indicative present tense.

For that, you have to watch, understand, study and learn the following classes in order. Once you have done that, come back to this page to watch how I analyze and translate an example sentence. Then it will be your turn to start analyzing and translating!

Classes for our first Latin-English translations

1. Quick start (28m 39s)
2. Introduction (22m 05s)
3. Cases and their functions (14m 26s)
4. The five declensions (07m 57s)
5. The first declension (04m 35s)
6. The verbal conjugation (18m 38s)
7. The active indicative present tense (09m 03s)

How to translate Latin: example sentence, explained step by step

Once you have completed the six classes, it’s time to start analyzing and translating. The first ones are on me! Watch carefully how I analyze and translate these sentences in the following video:

⚠️ It is important to get familiar with the process (slow and detailed in the early stages) from the very first moment. These good practices will allow us to really get to master analysis and translation.

Regina Graeciae pecuniam agricolae Italiae munificentia dat.

Puellae dearum aras rosis ornant.

Practice: morphosyntactic analysis and translation (1)

Now that you have seen the steps to follow, get ready for the first translations on your own… alone in the face of danger! Analyze and translate the following sentences:

Insulae incolae aquilas in ripa vident.

Reginae filia amica nautae est.

Regina pecuniam filiae nautae dat.

Nautae cum agricolis hastis sagittisque pugnant.

Puellae reginae et nautae tunicas bacis uvisque maculant. Cum lacrimis ancillae maculam monstrant. Puellae aquam ancillae apportant et ancilla cum puellis maculam tunicae aqua purgat. Regina et nauta numquam sciunt.

Since this is your first time, I’m going to explain how to use the information provided:

Right below you have the vocabulary, and after that the video to check your work. Good luck!

Vocabulary for the translation

Here you have the statements of the words appearing in the translation for this module. It is important for you to learn the vocabulary. To compel you to do so, I won’t usually repeat words from previous modules.

For the sentences:

• insula, insulae — island
• incola, incolae — inhabitant
• aquila, aquilae — eagle
• in — in
• ripa, ripae — shore
• video, videre, vidi, visum — see
• regina, reginae — queen
• filia, filiae — daughter
• amica, amicae — (girl)friend
• nauta, nautae — sailor
• sum, esse, fui, – — be
• pecunia, pecuniae — money
• do, dare, dedi, datum — give
• cum — with, against
• hasta, hastae — spear
• sagitta, sagittae — arrow
• pugno, pugnare, pugnavi, pugnatum — fight

For the text:

• regina, reginae — queen
• Graecia, Graeciae — Greece
• pecunia, pecuniae — money
• agricola, agricolae — farmer, peasant
• Italia, Italiae — Italy
• munificentia, munificentiae — generosity
• do, dare, dedi, datum — give
• puella, puellae — girl
• et — and
• nauta, nautae — sailor
• tunica, tunicae — tunic
• baca, bacae — berry
• uva, uvae — grape
• maculo, maculare, maculavi, maculatum — stain
• cum — with
• lacrima, lacrimae — tear
• ancilla, ancillae — maid, servant
• macula, maculae — stain
• monstro, monstrare, monstravi, monstratum — show
• aqua, aquae — water
• apporto, apportare, apportavi, apportatum — bring
• purgo, purgare, purgavi, purgatum — clean, wash
• numquam — never
• scio, scire, sci(v)i, scitum — know

Review of the translations

Once you have finished with the analysis and translations, now it’s time to review them on the screen.

⚠️ Even if you think you’ve done everything correctly, it is very important for you to always check the review, since that’s where we actually practice and check what we have learned. You’ve already seen that the analysis-translation process is quite systematic and strict at first, precisely so we can absorb everything we’re doing.

In the following video (⏳ 15m 46s ⌛) I analyze and translate the sentences:

And now the story (⏳ 10m 30s ⌛):

I hope it went great! Now, let’s continue! In the next module we’ll study the second declension, which will also allow us to learn adjectives, which add certain complexity to the analysis and translation.

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