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Adjectives in all three genders

bonus, bona, bonum: one adjective, three sets of endings.

LatinBeginning Latin · The second declensionAbout 3 min: 1 reading, 2 practiceUpdated

After this lesson you can
  • Give bonus, bona, bonum in every case
  • Match an adjective to a masculine, feminine or neuter noun
  • Explain why nauta bonus has different endings
Latin Level 1: nouns and cases: lesson 8 of 13
  1. Beginning Latin · Sounds
  2. Saying Latin out loud 4 min
  3. Beginning Latin · How sentences work
  4. Endings do the work 3 min
  5. The five cases 3 min
  6. Beginning Latin · Nouns
  7. The first declension 3 min
  8. Adjectives agree with their nouns 3 min
  9. Beginning Latin · The second declension
  10. The second declension 4 min
  11. Predicate nouns and apposition 3 min
  12. Adjectives in all three genders 3 min
  13. Nouns in -ius, -er and -ir 4 min
  14. Beginning Latin · Pronouns and adjectives
  15. My, your, his, our 3 min
  16. Beginning Latin · The ablative
  17. Four ways to say "with" 3 min
  18. Beginning Latin · Pronouns and adjectives
  19. The nine irregular adjectives 4 min
  20. is, ea, id: this, that, he, she, it 3 min

Try first

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Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lessons X–XI, §§ 79 and 83–85

What it is

Adjectives like bonus (good) have three genders. The masculine is declined like dominus, the feminine like puella, the neuter like pīlum:

CaseMasculineFeminineNeuter
Nom.bonusbonabonum
Gen.bonībonaebonī
Dat.bonōbonaebonō
Acc.bonumbonambonum
Abl.bonōbonābonō
Nom. pl.bonībonaebona
Gen. pl.bonōrumbonārumbonōrum
Dat./Abl. pl.bonīsbonīsbonīs
Acc. pl.bonōsbonāsbona

Dictionaries list these adjectives as bonus, -a, -um.

Quick check

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  1. Which form goes with oppidum (neuter): "a good town"?

    Show answer

    oppidum bonum. Neuter noun, neuter adjective.

Why it matters

Every adjective of this type works the same way: magnus (big), parvus (small), malus (bad), longus (long). Once you know bonus, you know every adjective of this type.

Worked example

  • equus parvus, the small horse; equī parvī, of the small horse (genitive singular).
  • puella parva, the small girl; puellae parvae, the small girls.
  • oppidum parvum, the small town; oppida parva, the small towns.
  • nauta bonus, the good sailor; nautārum bonōrum, of the good sailors. Nauta is first declension but masculine, so it takes the masculine adjective, and the endings don't look alike.

Common mistake

Copying the noun's ending instead of choosing by gender: wrong: agricolārum bonārum for "of the good farmers". Agricola is masculine: agricolārum bonōrum.

Key terms

bonus, -a, -um
good
magnus, -a, -um
big, great
parvus, -a, -um
small
malus, -a, -um
bad, wicked

Practise the key terms

Tap a card to turn it over. 4 cards.

FrontBack
bonus, -a, -umgood
magnus, -a, -umbig, great
parvus, -a, -umsmall
malus, -a, -umbad, wicked

Practice

Quick quiz

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  1. "of the long wars" (bellum, neuter)

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    bellōrum longōrum. Neuter genitive plural: -ōrum.

  2. "to the good sailor" (a man)

    Show answer

    nautae bonō. Masculine dative singular: bonō.

  3. Which noun can magna describe in the nominative singular?

    Show answer

    īnsula. magna is feminine nominative singular.

Recognition drill

Pick the right answer, as fast as you can.

All pairs

Tap a card to turn it over. 5 cards.

FrontBack
bonusmasculine singular
bonafeminine singular, or neuter plural
bonumneuter singular (or masculine accusative)
bonīmasculine plural
bonaefeminine plural

Practise speaking

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You are a patient Latin tutor. Use the classical pronunciation only, never the Church one: c is always k, g is always hard, v sounds like w, ae like the ai in aisle, and long vowels are held longer. Speak slowly. Use only these Latin words: bonus, magnus, parvus, malus, puella, dominus, oppidum. Give me an adjective and a noun in English (for example 'the big town', 'the bad master'), and I will say them in Latin in the nominative, then in the accusative. Do 8 pairs. After each answer, tell me what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again, then tell me one thing to improve. Keep every reply under 2 sentences. If I need a name or a town, I will make one up. Speak English except for the Latin itself.

Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.

Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. This course teaches the classical pronunciation (see lesson 1); AI voices may mix it with the Church (Italian-style) one, so ask for classical and check against lesson 1. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.

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In short

  • bonus, bona, bonum: masculine like dominus, feminine like puella, neuter like pīlum.
  • Choose the adjective by the noun's gender, number and case.
  • nauta bonus, agricola bonus: masculine nouns of the first declension take masculine adjectives.

Mastery check

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Check yourself

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  1. Give "the small towns" (nominative).

    Show answer

    oppida parva.

  2. Give the feminine accusative singular of malus.

    Show answer

    malam.

  3. Why is it nauta bonus and not nauta bona?

    Show answer

    Nauta is masculine, so the adjective is masculine.

Further reading

  • D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lessons X–XI, §§ 79 and 83–85. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.