Lapicida Latinus — One App for Everything: An Explanation of the 3 Coaches
Most Latin apps do one thing: test vocabulary. Lapicida Latinus does three things and combines them into a structured learning path: vocabulary trainer, grammar trainer, and sentence quiz—and at the end comes reading: authentic original Latin texts, tailored to your level, with vocabulary help and a direct link to the sentence quiz. This article explains how it all works together.
What is Lapicida Latinus?
Lapicida Latinus is a German Latin learning app for high school students (grades 8–12), Latinum preparation, and adults. It combines a vocabulary trainer (11,000+ entries, spaced repetition), a morphology trainer (all declensions and conjugations), and a sentence quiz (2,300+ original sentences from Cicero, Caesar, Ovid, Virgil, and Pliny — active analysis of sentence components) into a structured learning path. The reading feature brings authentic original texts, adapted to the user’s level, into the app: Cicero, Caesar, and Sallust are already available; Suetonius and the Vulgate (Sermon on the Mount, Epistles of Paul, Acts of the Apostles) are in the works.
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Trainer 1 — The Vocabulary Trainer
The Vocabulary Trainer contains over 11,000 Latin entries—with part of speech, gender, genitive form, and conjugation information directly in the entry. It’s more than just a flashcard: you can immediately see whether a word is a feminine noun of the 1st declension or a verb of the 2nd conjugation.
13 training modes keep your practice varied:
| Mode | What is being practiced | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Flip (Flashcard) | Self-assessment | First exposure to a new word |
| Chunks | Putting syllables together | Memorizing word images (good for dyslexia) |
| Multiple Choice | Recognizing meaning | Development Phase |
| Trace | Letter Snake in the Grid | Active Letter Sequence |
| Scripta | Type Actively | Exam Prep |
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Spaced Repetition: The Box System displays vocabulary you’re struggling with more often and words you’ve mastered less often—automatically, without you having to decide.
Trainer 2 — The Form Trainer
Knowing forms and being able to actively produce them are two very different things. Research shows: Active recall is about twice as effective as rereading (Roediger & Karpicke, Psychological Science, 2006: PubMed). The Form Trainer focuses on active production: you enter the form—not by recognizing it, but by forming it yourself.
Progression follows the learning path:
- Start: a-declension (1st declension, feminine) — puella, -ae
- Next: o-declension (2nd declension, masculine/neuter) — dominus, -i / bellum, -i
- Then: a/o-declension adjectives — bonus, -a, -um
- Then: Verbs — 1st conjugation, present active, then passive, then other conjugations
- Later: 3rd–5th declensions, participles, all tenses
Why this is important: In the oral portion of the Latinum exam, you must name verb forms. In the sentence quiz, you must recognize verb forms. The Verb Form Trainer lays the foundation for both.
Lapicida Latinus — try it for free now
Trainer 3 — The Sentence Quiz (unique among Latin apps)
The Sentence Quiz is the heart of Lapicida—and something no other Latin app offers in this form. You highlight sentence components directly within the sentence: subject, predicate, accusative object, dative object, adverbial phrases, ACI constructions, and more.
Authentic original texts—not textbook Latin. The more than 2,300 sentences in the Sentence Quiz come directly from ancient literature: Cicero, Caesar, Ovid, Virgil, and Pliny. No contrived “Max goes to school” style—you practice grammar using the very texts you’ll later encounter in your reading and on exams.
Progression: It starts with simple subject-predicate sentences in the present tense. Then objects are added. Next come subordinate clauses, ACI, the ablative absolute, and participle constructions. Always building upon what you’ve learned—once you’ve mastered a level, you unlock the next one.
Trainer 4 — Reading: the practical application of everything you’ve learned. Reading is the goal of the learning path—here you can test whether grammar, vocabulary, and sentence analysis work in real texts.
| Author / Work | Content | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cicero — De Amicitia / Epistulae | Friendship and Letters | L3 | ✅ Done |
| Caesar — De Bello Gallico | The Gallic War | L6 | ✅ Done |
| Sallust — The Catiline Conspiracy | The Catiline Conspiracy | L6–L9 | ✅ Done |
| Cicero — De Re Publica | State and Society | L12 | ✅ Done |
| Marcus Lapicida the Younger | Original Short Stories (Graded Reader) | L3–L27 | 🚧 in preparation |
| Sermon on the Mount (Matthew) | Beatitudes, Lord’s Prayer | L6–L11 | 🚧 In preparation |
| Suetonius — De Vita Caesarum | Caesar, Augustus, Nero | L18–L22 | 🚧 in preparation |
| Acts of the Apostles | Pentecost, Paul in Athens, Shipwreck | L13–L16 | 🚧 In preparation |
| Paul’s Epistles (Romans, 1 Corinthians, Philippians) | Epistle to the Romans, Hymn of Love, Hymn to Christ | L18–L22 | 🚧 In preparation |
| Caesar / Cicero (additional texts) | Vercingetorix, *In Catilinam*, *De Amicitia* | L18–L27 | 🚧 in preparation |
The theology component—Vulgate texts from the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of Paul—is intended for theology students and anyone who wants to read Church Latin or the New Testament in the original. All Vulgate texts are entirely in the public domain and are used without any simplification of content.
All learning topics—grammar, methods, app modules—are structured within the Latin-learning portal.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lapicida Latinus
Who is Lapicida Latinus intended for?
Lapicida is designed for high school students (grades 8–12), college students required to take Latin, Latinum candidates, and adults who want to seriously learn Latin. The app is too advanced for elementary school or introductory Latin courses.
How much does Lapicida Latinus cost?
The basic version is free and can be used indefinitely (a-declension, present tense verbs, simple sentence quiz level, basic vocabulary). The full version costs €19.99/year (= €1.67/month) or €4.99/month. Lifetime access: €49.99.
Does Lapicida work without an internet connection?
The Android app is fully offline-capable—all content is stored locally. The iOS version works as a PWA via Safari and requires an initial connection to load.
Is there a teacher license?
Yes—teachers receive Lapicida for free. Student licenses start at 10 € per student per year for classes. Details at lapicida-latinus.de/fuer-lehrer/.
Is Lapicida better than Navigium or Lateinorum?
Lapicida is the only tool with active sentence structure practice (sentence quizzes). For grammar practice and reading, it’s better than Lateinorum. Navigium is better for its school dictionary (approved for exams). The ideal combination for Latinum preparation: Lapicida for practice, Navigium for the dictionary.
All three tools—get started for free
Understand Latin instead of cramming — try it right now.
