Cases
Latin has six main grammatical cases (plus a Locative in select words):
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- Nominative: Subject of a sentence (puella currit – "the girl runs").
- Vocative: Direct address (mī amīce – "my friend!").
- Accusative: Direct object, or object of certain prepositions (videt puellam – "he sees the girl").
- Genitive: Possession or relationship (liber puellae – "the girl’s book").
- Dative: Indirect object (dō librum puellae – "I give the book to the girl").
- Ablative: Expresses means, manner, or object of prepositions (cum amīcīs – "with friends").
Endings depend on a noun’s declension, case, number, and gender.