Note: Some blanks have to be filled with nouns that belong to the first or second declension (but at least one blank per exercise requires a third-declension noun). Different word orders for the blanks are sometimes possible.
Our enemies are judges.
is the nominative plural form of inimīcus, inimīcī (2m): enemy. Nostrī is the masculine nominative plural form of noster/nostra/nostrum (1/2): our, ours. Sunt: (they) are. is the nominative plural form of iūdex, iūdicis (3m/f): judge, juror.
Give my witness a sword.
Dā is the singular imperative form of dō, dare, dedī, datum (1, irreg.): to give. is the accusative singular form of ferrum, ferrī (2n): iron or steel; blade; sword. is the dative singular form of testis, testis (3m/f): witness. Meō is the m/n dative singular form of meus/mea/meum (1/2): my, mine.
I did not enter into such a compact.
More literally: I did not come into these agreements.
(In other words, one claims I never promised that —as when circumstances have made performance of a contract insuperably difficult. Adapted from Virgil, Aeneid 4.339.) Nōn: not. Haec is the neuter accusative plural form of hic/haec/hoc (adj.): this. In (prep.): (with abl.) in; (with acc.) into. is the accusative plural form of foedus, foederis (3n): agreement, contract, treaty. Veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventum (4): to come.
If I have erred by hesitancy, I shall make amends by valor.
(Quoting a speech of Vologases, a king of Parthia—part of modern Iran.) Sī (conj.): if. is the ablative singular form of cūnctātiō, cūnctātiōnis (3f): the act of delaying, slowness to take action, tardiness; hesitation, hesitancy. Dēlinquō, dēlinquere, dēlīquī, dēlictum (3): to fail, be lacking, be missing; err, do wrong, misbehave. is the ablative singular form of virtūs, virtūtis (3f): virtue; valor. Corrigam is the first person singular future form of corrigō, corrigere, corrēxī, corrēctum (3): to straighten; put right, correct, amend.
Our bodies are hurried along like flowing waters.
More literally: Our bodies are hurried along in the manner of streams.
is the nominative plural form of corpus, corporis (3n): body. Nostra is the neuter nominative plural form of noster/nostra/nostrum (1/2): our, ours. Rapiuntur is the third person plural passive form of rapiō, rapere, rapuī, raptum (3, –iō): to snatch, carry off, carry away, sweep along, hurry along. is the genitive plural form of flūmen, flūminis (3n): river, stream; current; flowing water. is the ablative singular form of mōs, mōris (3m): habit, custom, (habitual) manner; (in the plural) morals, character.
Night put an end to the slaughter.
More literally: Night made an end to the killings.
Nox, noctis (3f): night. is the dative plural form of caedēs, caedis (3f): slaughter, killing, murder; the act of cutting off or down. is the accusative singular form of fīnis, fīnis (3m): bound, boundary, border, limit; end. Fēcit is the third person singular perfect form of faciō, facere, fēcī, factum (3, –iō): to do; make.
I have much, my brother.
More literally: I have very many things, my brother.
Habeō, habēre, habuī, habitum (2): to have. Plūrima is the neuter accusative plural form of plūrimus/plūrima/plūrimum (1/2): most; very much, very many—the superlative form of multus/multa/multum (1/2): much, many. is the vocative singular form of frāter, frātris (3m): brother. Mī is the masculine vocative singular form of meus/mea/meum (1/2): my, mine.
People are better taught by examples.
Melius (adv.): better—the comparative form of bene (adv.): well. is the nominative plural form of homō, hominis (3m): man, human; (in pl.) people. is the ablative plural form of exemplum, exemplī (2n): example. Docentur is the third person plural passive form of doceō, docēre, docuī, doctum (2): to teach.
It dazzles the eyes of the mind, so to speak.
(Pleasure.) Mēns, (3f): mind; intention. Ut (conj.): that, so that. Ita (adv.): so, thus, in this/that way, in such a way. Dīcam is the first person singular subjunctive form of dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictum (3): to say, speak (subjunctive because it’s in a purpose clause). Ut ita dīcam is a common phrase: so to speak (literally, so that I may so say/speak). Praestringit is the third person singular form of praestringō, praestringere, praestrīnxī, praestrictum (3): to tie up at the extremities; constrict; graze; blunt (a blade); dazzle (the eyes). is the accusative plural form of oculus, oculī (2m): eye.
He’ll beg his father not to do it.
More literally: He’ll beg the father that he not do it.
Obsecrābit is the third person singular future form of obsecrō, obsecrāre, obsecrāvī, obsecrātum (1): to beseech, entreat, beg. is the accusative singular form of pater, patris (3m): father. Nē (conj.): lest, that not. Id is the neuter accusative singular form of is/ea/id (pron.): he, she, it; this, that. Faciat is the third person singular subjunctive form of faciō, facere, fēcī, factum (3, –iō): to do; make (subjunctive because it’s in an indirect command).
Remedies are effective when the malady subsides.
Alt. : Remedies work in periods of remission.
(So try to cure anger only after it settles down.) is the nominative plural form of remedium, remediī (2n): remedy, cure, medicine. In (prep.): (with abl.) in; (with acc.) into. is the ablative plural form of remissiō, remissiōnis (3f): slackening; relaxation; abatement; remission. Prōsunt is the third person plural form of prōsum, prōdesse, prōfuī, prōfutūrus (irreg.): to be helpful, benefit.
That was truly to insult death!
More literally: This was to make an insult to death.
Hic/haec/ hoc (pron.): this, this one; he, she, it. Fuit is the third person singular perfect form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be. Mortī is the dative singular form of mors, mortis (3f): death. Contumēliam is the accusative singular form of contumēlia, contumēliae (1f): insult, abuse, affront. Faciō, facere, fēcī, factum (3, –iō): to do; make. Contumēliam facere = to insult (lit. , to make an insult). Cicero disapproved of contumēliam facere as an expression (“Who talks like that?” —Philippics 3.22), but it was not uncommon.
We don the temper of kings.
More literally: We put on ourselves the spirits of kings.
is the genitive plural form of rēx, rēgis (3m): king. Nōbīs is the dative form of nōs: we (to/for/on us, to/for/on ourselves). Induimus is the first person plural form of induō, induere, induī, indūtum (3): to don, put (an accusative thing) on (a dative person); assume (a part). Animōs is the accusative plural form of animus, animī (2m): mind, soul, spirit; sometimes, especially in the plural, it refers to anger or pride.
Do you wish to know his name?
Sciō, scīre, scīvī/sciī, scītum (4): to know. Cupis is the second person singular form of cupiō, cupere, cupīvī/cupiī, cupītum (3, –iō): to desire, long for, wish. is the accusative singular form of nōmen, nōminis (3n): name.
It is an ungrateful person, who calls the termination of pleasure an injustice.
Ingrātus /ingrāta/ingrātum (1/2): ungrateful; unwelcome; unpleasant, disagreeable. Est: he is. Quī /quae/quod (rel. pron.): who, which, that, what. Iniūriam is the accusative singular form of iniūria, iniūriae (1f): injury, wrong, injustice. Vocat is the third person singular form of vocō, vocāre, vocāvī, vocātum (1): to call; summon. is the accusative singular form of fīnis, fīnis (3m): bound, boundary, border, limit; end. Voluptās, (3f): pleasure.
Fortune has no jurisdiction over character.
In (prep.): (with abl.) in; (with acc.) into; against; for; toward; (in expressions about power, control and the like) over. is the accusative plural form of mōs, mōris (3m): custom, habit; (in pl.) morals, character, conduct. Fortūna, fortūnae (1f): fortune, luck; fate. is the accusative singular form of iūs, iūris (3n): law; right; authority, jurisdiction. Nōn: not. Habet is the third person singular form of habeō, habēre, habuī, habitum (2): to have.
You will swim without cork.
(Cork was tied to people learning how to swim.) Sine (prep.): without (takes the ablative). is the ablative singular form of cortex, corticis (3m): the bark of a tree; cork. Nābis is the second person singular future form of nō, nāre, nāvī, — (1): to swim.
You recite bad poems, I praise them.
Recitās is the second person singular form of recitō, recitāre, recitāvī, recitātum (1): to recite, read aloud. Mala is the neuter accusative plural form of malus/mala/malum (1/2): bad; evil. is the accusative plural form of carmen, carminis (3n): poem. Laudō, laudāre, laudāvī, laudātum (1): to praise.
He lost his ship and everything at sea.
Is /ea/id (pron.): he, she, it; this, that. is the accusative singular form of nāvis, nāvis (3f): ship. Atque /ac (conj.): and, and also, and then. Omnia is the neuter accusative plural form of omnis/omnis/omne (3): all; every; (n. pl. used substantively) all things, everything. Perdidit is the third person singular perfect form of perdō, perdere, perdidī, perditum (3): to destroy; ruin; waste; lose. In (prep.): (with abl.) in, on, at (denoting location); (with acc.) into, onto, (or in or on with motion), at (with motion, as in to rush at someone). is the ablative singular form of mare, maris (3n): sea.
That’s how near freedom is.
More literally: So near is freedom.
Tam (adv.): so, to such a degree; as, to an equal degree. Prope (adv.): near, nearby. , lībertātis (3f): freedom, liberty. Est: is.
He summons his own judge before the judges.
Ad (prep.): to (takes the accusative). is the accusative plural form of iūdex, iūdicis (3m/f): judge. Vocat is the third person singular form of vocō, vocāre, vocāvī, vocātum (1): to call; summon. is the accusative singular form of iūdex, iūdicis (3m/f): judge. Suum: his (own)—the m/n accusative singular form of suus/sua/suum (1/2).
This type of cheese can even be dispatched across the seas.
Hic/haec/ hoc (adj.): this. Genus, generis (3n): kind, type, sort; race; descent. Cāseus, (2m): cheese. Potest is the third person singular form of possum, posse, potuī, — (irreg.): to be able, can. Etiam (particle): still; also; even. Trāns (prep.): across (takes the accusative). is the accusative plural form of mare, maris (2n): sea. Permittī is the passive infinitive form of permittō, permittere, permīsī, permissum (3): to send, dispatch or convey over a distance; let go of; surrender; entrust; leave (to someone else); grant; allow, permit.
Does anyone refuse a king this favor?
More literally: Does anyone refuse this to a king?
Aliquis/ aliqua/aliquid (pron.): someone, something; anyone, anything. Hoc is the neuter accusative singular form of hic/haec/hoc (pron.): this, this one; he, she, it. is the dative singular form of rēx, rēgis (3m): king. Negat is the third person singular form of negō, negāre, negāvī, negātum (1): to deny; refuse.
It is on deaths that we live.
More literally: We live by means of deaths.
(That is, we survive by eating things that have died: “Every bird that flies, every fish that swims, every beast that roams finds burial in our stomachs.”) is the ablative plural form of mors, mortis (3f): death. Vīvimus is the first person plural form of vīvō, vīvere, vīxī, vīctum (3): to live.
Brutus was greatly outnumbered in ships.
More literally: Brutus was much inferior in number of ships.
Erat is the third person singular imperfect form of sum, esse, fuī, futūrus (irreg.): to be. Multō (adv.): much, by much. Īnferior /īnferior/īnferius (3): lower; later; inferior—the comparative form of īnferus/īnfera/īnferum (1/2): situated below. Numerō is the ablative singular form of numerus, numerī (2m): number. is the genitive plural form of nāvis, nāvis (3f): ship. Brūtus, Brūtī (2m): cognomen of Marcus Junius Brutus.