Simple Latin Conversations
Students learn to use a list of stock Latin conversational idioms in the context of very simple Latin conversations. When they’re ready, they move on to simple questions and answers that they compose on their own, utilizing the verb forms “est” and “sunt”, along with a short list of Latin nouns.
This article is a continuation of another article on this blog, Learn to Speak Latin: Part 1. If you haven’t read the first part of the article, please click over to that before reading this one.
Step 3) Basic Phrases, Questions, and Answers
Students should begin with very basic phrases, questions, and answers typically used to initiate conversations. The teacher should explain the grammar of each of these phrases or short sentences then jump into very simple conversations using these idioms. This will make students more comfortable with the concept of speaking the language. Here is a list of some good beginning phrases, questions, and answers:
Salve! = Hello.
Salvete! = Hello.
Vale! = Goodbye.
Valete! = Goodbye.
Quid novi? = What’s new?
Nihil novi. = Nothing’s new.
Paucum novi. = Very little is new.
Multum novi. = A lot is new.
Quid agis? = How are you?
Ut vales? = How are you?
Bene. = Well.
Male. = Poorly.
Et bene et male. = So-so.
Valeo bene. = I’m well.
Valeo male. = I’m unwell.
Non valeo bene. = I’m not well.
Ita, Vero, Ita vero, Quippe, Sic. = Yes.
Minime, Non, or restatement of question with negative added. = No.
(For a more complete list of basic Latin conversational phrases, questions, and answers, along with grammatical explanations of each, check out my Carmenta Conversational Latin Course textbook, which can be downloaded for free on our Carmenta Online Latin Tutors website. Just scroll down to the Textbook and Educational Resources section on the home page, click on the “Latin Language Resources” link, then download the “Carmenta Conversational Latin Textbook” at the top left of the Latin Educational Resources page.)
Step 4) Very Simple Conversations
Next, show the students how to put together question-and-answer variations based on the basic idioms in Step 3 of this article. Engage in simple conversations with individual students, using as many variations of the short phrases, questions, and answers in Step 3 of this article (and the Carmenta Conversational Latin Course textbook) as possible. Keep at it until the students become comfortable with the back and forth, then group students into pairs and have the pairs converse in Latin with each other using the same basic Latin idioms and their variations. You should have the students do this for as long as it takes them to become moderately comfortable with it.
Here are some sample basic questions and answers based on the idioms in Step 3:
Q1: Quid agis?
Q2: Ut vales?
A1: Bene.
A2: Male.
A3: Et bene et male.
A4: Valeo bene.
A5: Valeo male.
A6: Non valeo bene.
Q: Quid novi?
A1: Paucum novi.
A2: Nihil novi.
A3: Multum novi.
Q1: Bene vales?
Q2: Vales male?
Q3: Non bene vales?
A1: Ita vero. Valeo bene, magistra.
A2: Minime. Valeo male, discipula.
A3: Quippe. Bene valeo, amica.
A4: Sic, magister. Non valeo bene.
Step 5) Questions and Answers with “Est” and “Sunt”
Assuming they’ve had sufficient practice, the simple conversations outlined in Step 4 will make your students far more comfortable with conversing in the language. This practice will also familiarizes them with basic questions and answers that make it easy for them to initiate conversations. But what then? How do students transition into longer, more complex conversations?
Well, once they’ve mastered Step 4, they should be ready to engage in simple conversations using the verb forms “est” and “sunt” in basic questions and answers. First, go over the possible meanings of these two verb forms along with the questions listed below that include the two verb forms and two forms of the interrogative pronoun (“quid?” and “quae?”). If your students have already covered the grammar outlined in Step 1 in the previous article in this series, then these questions should be easy enough for them to understand. If they haven’t yet covered interrogative pronouns, though, that may still be fine. They just need to know that “quid” is used with the singular verb form “est” and “quae” is used with the plural verb form “sunt”. Here’s a summary:
Est. = He/she/it/there is.
Sunt. = They/there are.
Quid est? = What is it?
Quae sunt? = What are they?
You should then demonstrate how to answer these questions using a short list of Latin noun vocabulary. I’ve found that it’s usually simplest to start with the vocabulary of the features of the face since the teacher can point quite easily to his/her own face when asking questions. Here’s a summary of “face” vocabulary:
vultus, -us = face
auris, -is (f.) = ear
capillus, -i = hair
os, oris (n.) = mouth
labium, -i = lip
supercilium, -i = eyebrow
nasus, -i = nose
mentum, -i = chin
bucca, -ae = cheek
frons, frontis (m/f) = forehead
oculus, -i = eye
Work through the class, student by student, asking either “Quid est?” or “Quae sunt?” as you point to a feature on your face. Teach students to answer with the nominative singular or plural of the noun (whichever is appropriate) along with the appropriate verb form (“est” or “sunt”). Here are some examples:
Q: Quid est? (Teacher points to his/her eye.)
A: Oculus est.
Q: Quid est? (Teacher points to nose.)
A: Est nasus.
Q: Quae sunt? (Teacher points to both ears at once.)
A: Aures sunt.
Alternately, you can use the face graphic from Lesson 2 of the Carmenta Conversational Latin Course textbook, projecting it onto an overhead.
Do this for as long as it takes the students to become comfortable with it and get to the point where they can answer correctly pretty much every time. Then break them up into pairs and have the pairs practice this, having them consistently switch the student of the pair who questions and the one who answers. Again, have the pairs practice this with a very limited list of noun vocabulary until they get good at it.
Step 6) Questions and Answers with Other Vocabulary
You should continue to ask the students these same two questions (“Quid est?” and “Quae sunt?”), but now with new noun vocabulary. I recommend using the vocabulary from Lessons 3-4 of the Carmenta textbook. These two Lessons include noun vocabulary for the human body and the dinner table. At this point it will be easier to use an overhead, pointing to the part of the body or dinner table item as you ask each question. As before, you need to do this for as long as it takes the students to become very good at answering questions properly and then very good at conversing among themselves in this way. At this stage you should also integrate the adverb “non” into the questions and answers, along with the words meaning “yes” and “no” that students learned previously. Here are some sample question/answer pairs:
Q: Quid est? (Ask as you point at spoon.)
A: Cochlear est.
Q: Culter est? (Ask as you point at fork.)
A: Minime. Est furca.
Q: Mensa et linteum sunt? (Ask as you point at plate and napkin.)
A: Non sunt. Linteum est, sed non est mensa. Patella est.
Q: Quae sunt? (Ask as you point at plate and knife.)
A: Patella et culter sunt, magister.
Q: Poculum non est? (Ask as you point at cup.)
A: Non! Poculum est.
You should introduce a little bit more complexity into the questions and answers at this point. Students should now not just use words meaning “yes” and “no” but also supply a statement of fact that corrects the implication of the question. You should ask as many possible questions combining these elements together as you can, continuing with this until the students have gotten good at it. Then (as before) have them do the same with each other in pairs.
This is the second installment of a series of four “Learn to Speak Latin” articles on this blog. Please click over to the third installment, Learn to Speak Latin: Part 3, to continue reading.
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