Basic Spoken Latin Expressions for the National Latin Exam

Salvē! “Hello” (sing.) Valē! “Goodbye” (sing.) Salvēte! “Hello” (pl.) Valēte! “Goodbye” (pl.)

Salvē/Valē (vocative)“Hello/Goodbye ______!” (e.g. Salvē Marce! “Hello Marcus”) Quid est nōmen tibi? “What is your name” (literally, “What is the name to you?”)

Gratiās tibi agō “Thank you (sing.)” Gratiās vōbīs agō “Thank you (pl.)” Bene! Optimē! “Well done! Very good!”

Quōta hōra est? “What time is it?” Quid nōvī? “What’s new” Nihil nōvī “Nothing’s new”

Quaenam tempestās est? “What’s the weather” hōdiē pluit “It’s raining today” herī ningēbat “Yesterday it was snowing” Sol lucet “The sun is shining” frigidum est “It is cold” crās calidum erit “Tomorrow it will be hot”

Ubi est...? “Where is...” (ubi used for someone/thing that is not moving - location) Quō currit/ambulat?“(To) where is he running/walking?” (quō used for someone/thing moving – destination)

Adsum /Abest “I am present” / “He is absent” (can be conjugated, “you are present, she is present, etc.”) Hōdiē abest “Today, (s)he is absent” Hērī aberat “(S)he was absent yesterday” Crās aderimus “Tomorrow we will be present”

....mēcum/nōbīscum “(blank) with me, with us” (use with an imperative, e.g. ambulā mēcum “walk with me”)

Ignosce mihi “Excuse me” Ignoscite mihi “Excuse me” (pl.) mē paenitet “I’m sorry” nōs paenitet “We’re sorry”

Quōt sunt __ et/minus __? “How many are ______plus/minus ______?” Quōt (acc.) habēs? “How many (direct objects) do you have? Quōt fēlēs habētis? “How many cats do you (pl.) have? habeō trēs canēs “I have three dogs” habeō duōs fratrēs “I have two brothers”’ ego habeō unam magistram “I have one (female) teacher” tē amō “I love you” mē odī “I hate myself” vōs audiō “I hear you (pl.” nōsne spectās? “Are you watching us?” amāsne (infinitive)? “You like (to verb)?” amāsne pugnāre? “Do you like to fight?” amātisne coquere? “Do you (pl.) like to cook?” sīc (est). “Yes” ita verō “Yes, indeed”