Ablative Absolute (After): urbe capta
Ablative Absolute: Urbe Capta
Put the noun and the participle in the ablative and read the phrase as after it was done.
How It Works
An ablative absolute (the textbook term) is a short phrase that stands apart from the rest of the sentence. It has a noun and a participle, both in the ablative, and it tells what happened before the main action. Urbe capta means after the city was taken.
| Latin | Word for word | English |
|---|---|---|
| urbe capta | city taken | after the city was taken |
| Marco vocato | Marcus called | when Marcus had been called |
| oratione finita | prayer finished | when the prayer was over |
The participle agrees with its noun in gender, number and case. The noun in the phrase is not the subject or the object of the main verb. It belongs to the phrase alone, and a comma usually follows the phrase.
The perfect participle of a deponent verb is active in meaning, so Caesare locuto means after Caesar had spoken.
Examples (5)
- Urbe capta, cives fugerunt.
After the city was taken, the citizens ran away.
Urbe capta is the phrase: both words are ablative feminine singular.
- Marco vocato, Iulia respondit.
After Marcus was called, Iulia answered.
Marco vocato is ablative masculine singular. Marcus is not the subject of respondit.
- Oratione finita, monachi tacuerunt.
When the prayer was over, the monks were silent.
Oratione finita is ablative feminine singular.
- Et dimissa turba, ascendit in montem solus orare.
And after the crowd was sent away, he went up the mountain alone to pray.
From Matthew 14:23. Dimissa turba is the phrase.
- His dictis, Marcus discessit.
After these words were said, Marcus left.
His dictis is ablative neuter plural.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the noun in the nominative.
Urbs capta, cives fugerunt.Urbe capta, cives fugerunt.Urbs capta, cives fugerunt can be read as two short statements: the city was taken, the citizens ran away. To say after the city was taken, put both words in the ablative: urbe capta.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The phrase is a perfect participle and a noun in the ablative.
Related Patterns
Practice Ablative Absolute (After): urbe capta in Bubblegum
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