Making Latin Accessible to Everyone
An Introduction to Latin Personal Pronouns
In typical Latin fashion, the best way to understand Latin pronouns is to analyse the English language first. In English we have 3 main ‘Persons’ that contain pronouns:
• 1 st Person: I, My, We
• 2 nd Person: You
• 3 rd Person: He, She, It, They, Their, His, Hers
All of these words have Latin components and different endings in accordance to each case. To begin with let us look at personal pronouns:
I - Ego
Nom: Ego
Acc: Me
Gen: Mei
Dat: Mihi
Abl: Me
You (s) - Tu
Nom: Tu
Acc: Te
Gen: Tui
Dat: Tibi
Abl: Te
He/She/It/They
Nom: -
Acc: Se
Gen: Sui
Dat: Sibi
Abl: Se
We - Nos
Nom: Nos
Acc: Nos
Gen: Nostri / Nostrum
Dat: Nobis
Abl: Nobis
You (pl) - Vos
Nom: Vos
Acc: Vos
Gen: Vesti / Vestrum
Dat: Vobis
Abl: Vobis
Most of the time you will only be using personal pronouns in the nominative – namely ‘Ego’ and ‘Nos’ at the beginning of a charter. As translation gets increasingly more challenging, however, the use of 'my, his, hers, and their', is more frequently deployed. For example saying “My brother and his son give their land to the Lord…” These words are expressed by Meus, Suus, and Eius. Its declension is the same as other 1st and 2nd Declension adjectives:
My - Meus
Masculine
Nom: Meus
Acc: Meum
Gen: Mei
Dat: Meo
Abl: Meo
Feminine
Nom: Mea
Acc: Meam
Gen: Mee
Dat: Mee
Abl: Mea
Neuter
Nom: Meam
Acc: Meam
Gen: Mei
Dat: Meo
Abl: Meo
His / Her / Their - Suus
Masculine
Nom: Suus
Acc: Suum
Gen: Sui
Dat: Suo
Abl: Suo
Feminine
Nom: Sua
Acc: Suam
Gen: Sue
Dat: Sue
Abl: Sua
Neuter
Nom: Suam
Acc: Suam
Gen: Sui
Dat: Suo
Abl: Suo
He / She / It / They / His / Her / Their - Euis
Masculine
Nom: Is
Acc: Eum
Gen: Euis
Dat: Ei
Abl: Eo
Feminine
Nom: Ea
Acc: Eam
Gen: Euis
Dat: Ei
Abl: Ea
Neuter
Nom: Id
Acc: Id
Gen: Euis
Dat: Ei
Abl: Eo