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The nine irregular adjectives

ūnus, nūllus, sōlus, tōtus and friends: genitive -īus, dative -ī.

LatinBeginning Latin · Pronouns and adjectivesAbout 4 min: 1 reading, 3 practiceUpdated

After this lesson you can
  • Name the nine adjectives with genitive -īus and dative -ī
  • Decline nūllus in the singular
  • Use alter … alter and aliī … aliī
Latin Level 1: nouns and cases: lesson 12 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

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Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lesson XVI ("The Nine Irregular Adjectives"), §§ 108–110

What it is

Nine adjectives are declined like bonus, except in the genitive and dative singular, where every gender ends in -īus and -ī:

ūnus (one) · nūllus (no, none) · ūllus (any) · sōlus (alone) · neuter (neither) · alius (another) · uter (which of two?) · tōtus (whole) · alter (the other of two)

Their first letters spell UNUS NAUTA, a common way to remember them.

MasculineFeminineNeuter
Nom.nūllusnūllanūllum
Gen.nūllīusnūllīusnūllīus
Dat.nūllīnūllīnūllī
Acc.nūllumnūllamnūllum
Abl.nūllōnūllānūllō

The plural is regular. Alius has a neuter singular aliud, and alter, uter and neuter drop their e like pulcher (altera, utra, neutra).

Quick check

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  1. What is the genitive singular of tōtus?

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    tōtīus. The nine take -īus in the genitive singular.

Why it matters

These are some of the most frequent words in Latin. If you decline them like bonus, you will misread phrases like tōtīus Galliae (of all Gaul).

Worked example

  • Alterum oppidum est magnum, alterum parvum. → One town (of the two) is large, the other small.
  • Aliī gladiōs, aliī scūta portant. → Some carry swords, others shields.
  • Nūllī virō equum dat. → He gives a horse to no man. (dative nūllī)

Common mistake

Using the regular endings in the genitive and dative singular: wrong: nūllae puellae for "of no girl". The nine use nūllīus puellae, and the dative nūllī puellae.

Key terms

ūnus, -a, -um
one
tōtus, -a, -um
whole, entire
alius, -a, -ud
another (of several)
alter, -era, -erum
the other (of two)
uter, utra, utrum
which? (of two)

Practise the key terms

Tap a card to turn it over. 5 cards.

FrontBack
ūnus, -a, -umone
tōtus, -a, -umwhole, entire
alius, -a, -udanother (of several)
alter, -era, -erumthe other (of two)
uter, utra, utrumwhich? (of two)

Practice

Quick quiz

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  1. "of the whole island"

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    tōtīus īnsulae. Genitive singular of the nine: -īus.

  2. "Some fight, others flee" (about a crowd, not two groups). Which pair is right?

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    Aliī … aliī. aliī … aliī = some … others.

  3. Neuter singular nominative of alius:

    Show answer

    aliud. alius, alia, aliud.

Recognition drill

Pick the right answer, as fast as you can.

All pairs

Tap a card to turn it over. 6 cards.

FrontBack
ūnusone
nūllusno, none
sōlusalone
tōtuswhole
alterthe other (of two)
uterwhich? (of two)

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: ūnus, tōtus, alius, alter, uter, ūllus, nūllus, sōlus, neuter. Ask me for the genitive and dative singular of these adjectives aloud (for example tōtīus, tōtī). Then say English phrases like 'of the whole town' for me to translate. Do 8 rounds. 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.

New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.

In short

  • UNUS NAUTA: ūnus, nūllus, ūllus, sōlus, neuter, alius, uter, tōtus, alter.
  • Genitive singular -īus, dative singular -ī, in all genders.
  • Otherwise like bonus; plural regular; alius has neuter aliud.
  • alter … alter = the one … the other; aliī … aliī = some … others.

Mastery check

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Check yourself

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  1. Give the dative singular of sōlus.

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    sōlī.

  2. What does uter mean?

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    Which (of two)?

  3. Translate Alter puer est malus, alter bonus.

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    One boy (of the two) is bad, the other good.

Further reading

  • D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lesson XVI, §§ 108–110. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.