Latin Declension Chart — All 5 Declensions and the 6 Cases
A Latin declension chart lays out how a noun changes its ending for each case and number. In Latin, nouns are not fixed: the stem stays the same, but the ending shifts to show the noun’s job in the sentence — subject, possessor, object, and so on. Every noun belongs to one of five declensions, and each has its own set of endings. This page gathers the seven core paradigm tables in one place, part of the Learn Latin section of Lapicida.
- Five declensions, each identified by its genitive singular ending
- Five cases in the tables: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, ablative
- Neuter nouns: nominative = accusative, and the plural always ends in -a
- The stem stays put — the ending does the grammatical work
How do you know which declension a noun is in?
Not by the nominative — by the genitive singular. Each of the five declensions has its own genitive singular ending, and that ending is the key that unlocks the whole paradigm. This is exactly why a Latin dictionary always lists the genitive next to the nominative.
| Declension | Genitive sg. ending | Example (gen. sg.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | –ae | puellae |
| 2nd | –ī | dominī, bellī |
| 3rd | –is | rēgis, corporis |
| 4th | –ūs | manūs |
| 5th | –eī | reī |
1st and 2nd declension
The 1st declension is mostly feminine, with a stem in -a. In each table the endings are marked in bold, with a middot (·) separating stem from ending where it helps.
1st declension — feminine (puella, girl):
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | puell·a | puell·ae |
| Genitive | puell·ae | puell·ārum |
| Dative | puell·ae | puell·īs |
| Accusative | puell·am | puell·ās |
| Ablative | puell·ā | puell·īs |
The 2nd declension covers masculine nouns in -us and neuter nouns in -um. Note one irregularity: a masculine noun in -us has a special vocative singular in -e (domine).
2nd declension — masculine (dominus, master):
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | domin·us | domin·ī |
| Genitive | domin·ī | domin·ōrum |
| Dative | domin·ō | domin·īs |
| Accusative | domin·um | domin·ōs |
| Ablative | domin·ō | domin·īs |
Vocative singular: domin·e (the one case where a 2nd-declension masculine differs from the nominative).
2nd declension — neuter (bellum, war): like the masculine, but nominative and accusative are identical and the plural of both ends in -a.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | bell·um | bell·a |
| Genitive | bell·ī | bell·ōrum |
| Dative | bell·ō | bell·īs |
| Accusative | bell·um | bell·a |
| Ablative | bell·ō | bell·īs |
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3rd declension
The 3rd declension is the largest and most varied. Its nominatives take many shapes (rēx, corpus, and more), so you should always work from the genitive singular in -is: it shows the true stem to which the endings attach.
3rd declension — masculine / feminine (rēx, king; stem rēg-):
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | rēx | rēg·ēs |
| Genitive | rēg·is | rēg·um |
| Dative | rēg·ī | rēg·ibus |
| Accusative | rēg·em | rēg·ēs |
| Ablative | rēg·e | rēg·ibus |
3rd declension — neuter (corpus, body; stem corpor-): again nominative = accusative, and the plural of both ends in -a.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | corpus | corpor·a |
| Genitive | corpor·is | corpor·um |
| Dative | corpor·ī | corpor·ibus |
| Accusative | corpus | corpor·a |
| Ablative | corpor·e | corpor·ibus |
Drill the case endings until they stick
4th and 5th declension
The last two declensions are the smallest. The 4th declension is built on -u- and has a genitive singular in -ūs; the 5th declension is mostly feminine, with a genitive singular in -eī.
4th declension — feminine (manus, hand):
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | man·us | man·ūs |
| Genitive | man·ūs | man·uum |
| Dative | man·uī | man·ibus |
| Accusative | man·um | man·ūs |
| Ablative | man·ū | man·ibus |
5th declension — feminine (rēs, thing / matter):
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | r·ēs | r·ēs |
| Genitive | r·eī | r·ērum |
| Dative | r·eī | r·ēbus |
| Accusative | r·em | r·ēs |
| Ablative | r·ē | r·ēbus |
Latin noun endings at a glance
Every ending below attaches to the stem — the part left once you strip the genitive-singular ending. These tables show the endings only (masculine/feminine type). Neuter nouns follow one extra rule: nominative = accusative, and both plurals end in -a.
Singular
| Case | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | -a | -us | varies | -us | -ēs |
| Gen. | -ae | -ī | -is | -ūs | -eī |
| Dat. | -ae | -ō | -ī | -uī | -eī |
| Acc. | -am | -um | -em | -um | -em |
| Abl. | -ā | -ō | -e | -ū | -ē |
Plural
| Case | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | -ae | -ī | -ēs | -ūs | -ēs |
| Gen. | -ārum | -ōrum | -um (i-stem -ium) | -uum | -ērum |
| Dat. | -īs | -īs | -ibus | -ibus | -ēbus |
| Acc. | -ās | -ōs | -ēs | -ūs | -ēs |
| Abl. | -īs | -īs | -ibus | -ibus | -ēbus |
Neuter shortcut: in every declension a neuter noun has nominative = accusative, and both plurals end in -a (2nd bella, 3rd corpora, 4th cornua). The 3rd declension also has an i-stem sub-type with genitive plural -ium and neuter plural -ia.
Each Latin declension at a glance (1st–5th)
1st declension — a-stems (genitive -ae)
Gender: mostly feminine (a few masculine by meaning: nauta, agricola, poeta). Cue: nominative -a, genitive -ae. Pitfall: -ae is genitive and dative singular and nominative plural — only context decides. Model: puella, puellae (girl).
2nd declension — o-stems (genitive -ī)
Gender: nouns in -us are masculine, nouns in -um are neuter. Cue: genitive -ī. Pitfall: dominī is genitive singular and nominative plural; a masculine -us has a special vocative in -e (domine); -er nouns may drop the e (ager, agrī). Models: dominus (m.), bellum (n.).
3rd declension — consonant & i-stems (genitive -is)
Gender: all three occur — learn the gender with the word. Cue: genitive -is; the nominative can look like anything (rēx, corpus, cīvis). Pitfall: never take the stem from the nominative — take it from the genitive (rēg-is, corpor-is). Watch the i-stem sub-type: genitive plural -ium, neuter plural -ia. Models: rēx, rēgis (m.), corpus, corporis (n.).
4th declension — u-stems (genitive -ūs)
Gender: mostly masculine, but the everyday nouns manus (hand) and domus (house) are feminine; neuters end in -ū (cornū). Cue: genitive -ūs. Pitfall: a 4th-declension -us is not a 2nd-declension -us — check the genitive (-ūs, not -ī); manūs is genitive singular and nominative/accusative plural. Model: manus, manūs (f.).
5th declension — e-stems (genitive -eī)
Gender: mostly feminine; diēs (day) is usually masculine. Cue: genitive -eī, nominative -ēs. Pitfall: -ēs is nominative singular and nominative/accusative plural; most 5th-declension nouns have no full plural — only rēs and diēs do. Model: rēs, reī (thing, f.).
How to decline a Latin noun — 4 steps
- Read the dictionary form. A noun is listed with nominative + genitive + gender, e.g. rēx, rēgis, m.
- Name the declension from the genitive singular: -ae → 1st, -ī → 2nd, -is → 3rd, -ūs → 4th, -eī → 5th.
- Strip the genitive ending to get the stem (rēg-is → rēg-) — every ending attaches here.
- Add that declension’s endings from the tables above, one ending per case and number.
Neuter check: keep nominative = accusative and end both plurals in -a.
What is the genitive used for in Latin?
Two jobs. Grammatically it shows possession or relationship — “of” something (liber puellae, the girl’s book). Practically, the genitive singular identifies the declension and reveals the stem, which is why dictionaries always list it next to the nominative.
Which is the hardest Latin declension?
The 3rd — it is the largest, covers all three genders, has unpredictable nominatives, and splits into consonant-stem and i-stem sub-types. The fix is always the same: work from the genitive singular (-is), not the nominative.
Common mistakes with Latin declensions
- Giving a neuter a separate accusative: in every declension a neuter noun has nominative = accusative, and the plural of both always ends in -a (bella, corpora). Never invent a different accusative form.
- Guessing the 3rd declension from the nominative: its nominatives take many shapes (rēx, corpus, and more), so the nominative alone will not tell you the stem. Learn the genitive singular (rēgis, corporis) — that is where the stem lives.
- Confusing the 2nd-declension -ī: dominī is both the genitive singular and the nominative plural. Only the surrounding words (agreement, verb, context) tell them apart.
- Mixing endings across declensions: find the declension from the genitive first, then add only that declension’s endings to the stem.
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Frequently asked questions — Latin declensions
How many declensions are there in Latin?
Latin has five declensions. Each one is identified by its genitive singular ending: 1st -ae, 2nd -ī, 3rd -is, 4th -ūs, 5th -eī.
How do I know which declension a noun is?
Look at the genitive singular ending, not the nominative. -ae is 1st, -ī is 2nd, -is is 3rd, -ūs is 4th, -eī is 5th. That is why dictionaries always list the genitive next to the nominative.
What are the six Latin cases?
The six Latin cases are nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, ablative, and vocative. The vocative usually looks like the nominative, except in the 2nd declension (domine).
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About the author
Andreas Blankenstein is the founder of Lapicida Latinus — and dyslexic himself. When he had to catch up on his Latinum in record time, one thing became clear: endless table-cramming fails exactly the people who learn differently. That is why Lapicida trains grammar in the context of real authorial texts, colour-coded and in short steps. More about Andreas and the Lapicida method →
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