Imperatives and Vocatives

How to tell people what to do and make sure they know you’re talking

to them.

Marcus dormit.

Marcus dormit.

Marcus prope arborem dormit.

Marce! noli dormire!

Marce! surge!

Marcus surgit.

Marcus surgit.

Lucius quoque dormit.

Marce, Lucium excita.

Marcus Lucium non excitat.

Luci! noli dormire!

Luci! surge!

Lucius surgit.

Marcus et Lucius exspectant.

sed.. cur vos excitabam?

nescio.

Marce! Luci! dormite!

Marce et Luci! nolite narratorem petere!

Marce et Luci! nolite narratorem petere!

eheu.

To make a singular imperative (command):

Infinitive – “re”e.g. laborare – “re”= labora!

e.g. docēre – “re”= doce!e.g. surgere – “re”= surge! e.g. dormire – “re”= dormi!

To make a plural imperative (command):

Singular Command + “te”e.g. labora + “te”= laborate!

e.g. doce + “te”= docete!e.g. surge + “te”= surgite!

e.g. dormi + “te”= dormite!

Negative Commands:

“noli” = “don’t” singular“nolite” = “don’t” plural

Add an infinitive to make the command:

e.g. noli dormire = “don’t sleep”e.g. nolite petere = “don’t attack”

Vocative:To get someone’s attention.

All nouns use the nominative formexcept 2nd Declension Singular

So…If the noun ends in “-us” then

replace it with “-e”If the noun ends in “-ius” then

remove the “-us”

Vocative:e.g. Marcus – “us” + “e”= Marce

e.g. Lucius – “us” = Luci

as in “heus, Marce, da mihi cibum!”or “heus, Luci, da mihi pecuniam!”