Predicate nouns and apposition
When two nouns name the same person, they share the same case.
LatinBeginning Latin · The second declensionAbout 3 min: 1 reading, 2 practiceUpdated
- Recognise a predicate noun after est
- Recognise a noun in apposition
- Put both in the right case
Latin Level 1: nouns and cases: lesson 7 of 13
- Beginning Latin · Sounds
- Saying Latin out loud 4 min
- Beginning Latin · How sentences work
- Endings do the work 3 min
- The five cases 3 min
- Beginning Latin · Nouns
- The first declension 3 min
- Adjectives agree with their nouns 3 min
- Beginning Latin · The second declension
- The second declension 4 min
- Predicate nouns and apposition 3 min
- Adjectives in all three genders 3 min
- Nouns in -ius, -er and -ir 4 min
- Beginning Latin · Pronouns and adjectives
- My, your, his, our 3 min
- Beginning Latin · The ablative
- Four ways to say "with" 3 min
- Beginning Latin · Pronouns and adjectives
- The nine irregular adjectives 4 min
- is, ea, id: this, that, he, she, it 3 min
Try first
You haven't learned this yet, so guess. Guessing before you read helps the explanation stick. Nothing here is scored.
Already know this? Take a 3-question check and skip ahead.
Get all three right and the lesson is marked done.
Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lessons IX–X, §§ 75–76 (predicate noun) and §§ 80–81 (apposition)
What it is
Two common patterns join one noun to another that names the same person or thing.
- Predicate noun: after est (is) or sunt (are), a noun that says what the subject is. It is in the same case as the subject, usually the nominative: Galba est agricola, Galba is a farmer.
- Apposition: a noun placed beside another to explain it, like "Mark, the lieutenant". It takes the same case as the noun it explains: Mārcum lēgātum laudant, they praise Mark, the lieutenant.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
In Sextus est lēgātus, what case is lēgātus?
- est does not take an object; the noun after it matches the subject
Show answer
Nominative, like Sextus. A predicate noun agrees in case with the subject.
Why it matters
Without this rule you would expect an object after est and use the accusative. Apposition matters because the explaining noun can be in any case, and it must take the same case as the noun it describes.
Worked example
- Iūlia est fīlia Galbae. → Julia is Galba's daughter. (fīlia nominative, like Iūlia)
- Fīliam Galbae agricolae laudant. → They praise the daughter of Galba, the farmer. (agricolae genitive, like Galbae)
- Equum Mārcō lēgātō dant. → They give a horse to Mark, the lieutenant. (lēgātō dative, like Mārcō)
Common mistake
Leaving the appositive in the nominative: wrong: Mārcum lēgātus laudant. The explaining noun copies the case of the noun it explains: Mārcum lēgātum.
Key terms
- predicate noun
- a noun after est / sunt that says what the subject is
- apposition
- a noun placed beside another to explain it, in the same case
- lēgātus, -ī, m.
- lieutenant, envoy
- agricola, -ae, m.
- farmer
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 4 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| predicate noun | a noun after est / sunt that says what the subject is |
| apposition | a noun placed beside another to explain it, in the same case |
| lēgātus, -ī, m. | lieutenant, envoy |
| agricola, -ae, m. | farmer |
Practice
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
"Marcus is a sailor."
- Used the accusative; after est the noun matches the subject
Show answer
Mārcus est nauta.. Predicate noun in the nominative, like the subject.
"the horse of Sextus, the lieutenant"
- The appositive must match Sextī, which is genitive
Show answer
equus Sextī lēgātī. lēgātī is genitive, like Sextī.
A noun in apposition explains who Julia is (Iūliae, a dative here). Which case does it take?
- An appositive copies the case of the noun it explains
Show answer
The same case as Iūliae: dative. Apposition: same case as the noun explained, whatever that case is.
Build the sentence
Build "Galba is a farmer", in the order subject, predicate noun, verb.
Show answer
Galba agricola est.. Predicate noun in the nominative: agricola.
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
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: lēgātus, agricola, Mārcus, est, sunt, bonus. Say an English sentence like 'Marcus is a farmer' or 'Marcus, the lieutenant, is good', and I will say it in Latin, keeping the linked nouns in the same case. Do 6 sentences. 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
- After est / sunt, a noun that says what the subject is takes the subject's case.
- A noun in apposition copies the case of the noun it explains.
- A predicate noun is nominative when the subject is; an appositive can be in any case.
Mastery check
Answer without looking back. Score 80% or more and the lesson is marked done. Your result is kept only in this browser.
Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
Translate Mārcus est servus.
Show answer
Marcus is a slave.
What case is nautae in fīlia Galbae nautae?
Show answer
Genitive, like Galbae.
Why is it Sextum lēgātum and not Sextum lēgātus?
Show answer
An appositive takes the same case as the noun it explains, here accusative.
Further reading
- D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lessons IX–X, §§ 75–76 and 80–81. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the Latin map.