Language/Latin/Grammar/Negation

Latin Grammar - Negation

Hi Latin learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about the basics of negation in Latin. Negation is an important part of any language, and Latin is no exception. We will look at how to form negative sentences, as well as some common phrases and expressions that use negation. So let's get started!

Basics of Negation

Negation in Latin is quite simple. To make a sentence negative, all you need to do is add the word non before the verb. For example:

• Ego ambulo (I walk)
• Ego non ambulo (I do not walk)

You can also use non with adjectives and adverbs. For example:

• Ego sum bonus (I am good)
• Ego non sum bonus (I am not good)

• Ego ambulo celeriter (I walk quickly)
• Ego non ambulo celeriter (I do not walk quickly)

Common Negation Phrases

In addition to the basic negation structure, there are some common phrases and expressions that use negation. Here are some examples:

• Non est verum (It is not true)
• Non est necessarium (It is not necessary)
• Non est possibile (It is not possible)
• Non est certum (It is not certain)
• Non est dubium (It is not doubtful)

Practice

To improve your Latin Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Here is a table of some Latin phrases and their English translations. Try to make them negative using the word non.

Latin	Pronunciation	English Translation
Ego ambulo	eh-goh ahm-boo-loh	I walk
Ego sum bonus	eh-goh soom boh-noos	I am good
Ego ambulo celeriter	eh-goh ahm-boo-loh cheh-leh-ree-tehr	I walk quickly
Est verum	ehst veh-room	It is true
Est necessarium	ehst neh-sehss-ah-ree-oom	It is necessary
Est possibile	ehst pohs-see-bee-leh	It is possible
Est certum	ehst chehr-toom	It is certain
Est dubium	ehst doo-bee-oom	It is doubtful

Answers:

Latin	Pronunciation	English Translation
Ego non ambulo	eh-goh non ahm-boo-loh	I do not walk
Ego non sum bonus	eh-goh non soom boh-noos	I am not good
Ego non ambulo celeriter	eh-goh non ahm-boo-loh cheh-leh-ree-tehr	I do not walk quickly
Non est verum	non ehst veh-room	It is not true
Non est necessarium	non ehst neh-sehss-ah-ree-oom	It is not necessary
Non est possibile	non ehst pohs-see-bee-leh	It is not possible
Non est certum	non ehst chehr-toom	It is not certain
Non est dubium	non ehst doo-bee-oom	It is not doubtful

That's it for this lesson on Latin negation. We hope you found it useful!

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