Latin Verbs with Special Case Government — Genitive, Dative, Ablative
Most Latin verbs take a direct object in the accusative — just like English. But an important group governs a different case: the genitive, dative or ablative. If you have not learnt that with the word, you translate it wrongly on reflex. This article sorts the key verbs and gives you the best way to remember them. It belongs to the Learn-Latin section.
- Verbs taking the genitive: memini, obliviscor — plus the genitive of charge and of value
- Verbs taking the dative where English has a direct object: parcere, persuadere, imperare …
- The five deponents taking the ablative: utor, fruor, fungor, potior, vescor
- Why this is a classic error source — and how to lock it in
What is special case government?
A verb’s government (rection) is the case it requires for its object. Most verbs govern the accusative. Verbs with special government require instead the genitive (e.g. memini), the dative (e.g. parcere) or the ablative (e.g. uti). Because English uses a plain direct object there, the required case has to be learnt together with the vocabulary.
Faber malleo utitur. = “The craftsman uses a hammer.” — the object malleo is in the ablative, even though English “a hammer” is a direct object.
Verbs taking the genitive
The genitive is governed above all by verbs of remembering and forgetting and of pity. To these are added two fixed genitive types from the language of the courts and of value.
| Verb | Meaning | Own example |
|---|---|---|
| meminisse | to remember | Memini tui. — I remember you. |
| oblivisci | to forget | Milites patriae non obliviscuntur. — The soldiers do not forget their homeland. |
| misereri | to have pity | Miserere nostri! — Have pity on us! |
Genitive of the charge: with verbs of accusing and condemning, the person stands in the accusative, the offence in the genitive. Iudex reum furti accusavit. = “The judge accused the defendant of theft.”
Genitive of value (genetivus pretii): an indefinite worth is in the genitive — typically in forms like magni (highly), pluris (more), minoris (less). Hunc librum magni aestimo. = “I value this book highly.”
Verbs taking the dative
A large group of verbs governs the dative where English has a plain direct object. They are best learnt as a block:
| Verb | Meaning | Own example |
|---|---|---|
| parcere | to spare | Victor hostibus pepercit. — The victor spared the enemy. |
| persuadere | to persuade | Amico meo persuasi. — I persuaded my friend. |
| imperare | to command | Consul militibus imperavit. — The consul commanded the soldiers. |
| favere | to favour | Fortuna fortibus favet. — Fortune favours the brave. |
| invidere | to envy | Mali bonis invident. — The wicked envy the good. |
| nocere | to harm | Hoc nemini nocet. — This harms no one. |
| credere | to trust, believe | Nemo tibi credit. — No one believes you. |
Others belong to the same set: studere (to strive for), servire (to serve), parere (to obey), resistere (to resist), confidere (to trust), ignoscere (to forgive). Note: the dative here is a genuine object, not a dative of advantage.
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Verbs taking the ablative — and the pitfall
The ablative as a true object is governed essentially by five deponents. Their prepositionless ablative object looks like an adverbial phrase — but it is the object of the verb.
| Verb | Meaning | Own example |
|---|---|---|
| uti | to use | Faber malleo utitur. — The craftsman uses a hammer. |
| frui | to enjoy | Pace fruimur. — We enjoy peace. |
| fungi | to perform, discharge | Consul munere fungitur. — The consul discharges his office. |
| potiri | to take possession of | Hostes urbe potiti sunt. — The enemy took possession of the city. |
| vesci | to feed on | Leones carne vescuntur. — Lions feed on meat. |
The special case of potiri: it can also govern the genitive — above all in the fixed phrase potiri rerum = “to take supreme power.” Caesar rerum potitus est. = “Caesar took supreme power.”
Why this is a classic error source: when translating, you instinctively carry over the English structure — “I use a hammer” (direct object) — and stumble over the Latin ablative. Two rules help:
- Learn the government with the word: never just uti = to use, but uti + abl. The required case belongs to the word as gender belongs to a noun.
- The ablative exclusion rule: a prepositionless ablative is normally an adverbial phrase (means, place, time) — unless the sentence contains uti, frui, fungi, potiri or vesci. Then it is the object.
More in the Dickinson College Commentaries grammar, the Latin syntax overview and the ablative case article.
FAQ — Latin verbs and case government
Which Latin verbs govern the genitive?
Above all verbs of remembering and forgetting (memini, obliviscor) and of pity (misereor). To these are added the genitive of the charge with verbs of accusing and condemning (the person in the accusative, the offence in the genitive: reum furti accusavit) and the genitive of value (magni, pluris, minoris aestimare).
Why do parcere and imperare take the dative?
These verbs govern a dative object where English has a plain direct object. Victor hostibus pepercit = The victor spared the enemy. The same group includes persuadere, favere, invidere, nocere, credere, studere, servire, parere, resistere, confidere and ignoscere. It is best to learn these verbs as a fixed block with the dative.
Which verbs take the ablative?
The five deponents uti (to use), frui (to enjoy), fungi (to perform), potiri (to take possession of) and vesci (to feed on) govern a prepositionless ablative object. potiri can also govern the genitive, especially in potiri rerum (to take supreme power). Remember: a prepositionless ablative is an object only with these verbs, otherwise it is an adverbial phrase.
Understand Latin instead of cramming — try it right now.
ACI Latin explained simply · Latin pronouns — is, hic, ille, se · Comparison of adjectives — comparative & superlative · Latin indirect speech (oratio obliqua) · Latin indirect questions — num, nonne, -ne · All grammar topics in the Learn-Latin section · Latinum preparation — the plan · Practice Latin verb forms
