Adjectives Like felix and ingens

Level 4

The nominative singular is the same for all genders, and the genitive shows the stem.

How It Works

Casesingular m. and f.singular n.plural m. and f.plural n.
nominativefelixfelixfelicesfelicia
genitivefelicisfelicisfeliciumfelicium
dativefelicifelicifelicibusfelicibus
accusativefelicemfelixfelicesfelicia
ablativefelicifelicifelicibusfelicibus

The dictionary gives the genitive, because you cannot guess the stem from the nominative: felix, felicis, ingens, ingentis, audax, audacis, prudens, prudentis.

Say puer felix, puella felix and donum felix. Never add -a or -um to the nominative.

Many of these adjectives end in -ns or -x in the nominative, as in ingens, audax, prudens and felix.

Examples (5)

  1. Puer felix est, et puella felix est.

    The boy is lucky, and the girl is lucky.

    Felix is the same form for a boy and a girl.

  2. Dona felicia accipimus.

    We receive lucky gifts.

    Felicia is the neuter plural, like dona.

  3. Ingens turris in urbe est.

    A huge tower is in the city.

    Ingens is feminine here, but the form does not change.

  4. Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.

    Happy is the one who could learn the causes of things.

    From Virgil's Georgics (2.490). Felix is the nominative singular.

  5. Quinque autem ex eis erant fatuae, et quinque prudentes.

    Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

    From Matthew 25:2. Prudentes is the nominative feminine plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Giving felix an ending for its gender.

    Puella felica est.
    Puella felix est.

    Felix has one form for all three genders in the nominative singular. It does not add -a for a feminine noun.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Adjectives Like felix and ingensLevel 4

Learn This First

These adjectives have one nominative form for all three genders.

Words in This Pattern

felixingens