Second Declension (servus, servi)
Learn masculine and neuter second-declension nouns. Compare with first declension and practice mixed-gender agreement.
A lesson of Latin A1 — Beginner, in Noun Declensions, about 10 minutes.
Second Declension Nouns (servus, servī)
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to decline masculine and neuter second-declension nouns and distinguish them from first-declension forms.
The Second Declension
The second declension contains primarily masculine nouns ending in -us in the nominative singular, and neuter nouns ending in -um.
Second Declension Masculine: SERVUS (slave)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | servus | servī |
| Gen. | servī | servōrum |
| Dat. | servō | servīs |
| Acc. | servum | servōs |
| Abl. | servō | servīs |
| Voc. | serve | servī |
Note the vocative singular: -e instead of -us. So you address a slave as serve! not servus!
Special exception: filius (son) and deus (god) have the vocative singular filī and dī or dee.
Second Declension Neuter: BELLUM (war)
Neuter nouns follow a rule true in ALL Latin declensions: Neuter nominative = accusative = vocative (always, in all declensions).
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | bellum | bella |
| Gen. | bellī | bellōrum |
| Dat. | bellō | bell |