Fifth Declension: res, dies

Level 4

Fifth declension nouns end in -es, and the genitive and dative singular end in -ei.

How It Works

Caseres (thing)pluraldies (day)plural
nominativeresresdiesdies
genitivereirerumdieidierum
dativereirebusdieidiebus
accusativeremresdiemdies
ablativererebusdiediebus

This is a small declension. The words to know are res (thing, matter), dies (day), fides (faith), spes (hope) and facies (face).

Res is everywhere: res publica is the state. Dies takes a masculine adjective in most sentences: dies longus.

Fides and spes are usually singular.

A dictionary shows the declension in the genitive. A noun listed as res, rei belongs to the fifth declension.

Examples (5)

  1. Quot dies habet annus?

    How many days does a year have?

    Dies is the accusative plural and the object of habet.

  2. Dies longus est, nox brevis.

    The day is long, the night is short.

    Dies is masculine here, so the adjective is longus.

  3. Res publica Romana magna est.

    The Roman state is great.

    Res is the nominative singular, and publica agrees with it.

  4. Spes mea in Deo est.

    My hope is in God.

    From Psalm 61:8. Spes is nominative singular and feminine.

  5. Fides tua te salvam fecit.

    Your faith has saved you.

    From Matthew 9:22. Fides is the subject, and salvam agrees with te.

Common Mistakes

  • Giving res a second declension ending.

    Marcus de reis bonis loquitur.
    Marcus de rebus bonis loquitur.

    Res belongs to the fifth declension, so the ablative plural is rebus. The ending -is belongs to the first and second declensions.

How It Connects

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Fifth Declension: res, diesLevel 4

Learn This First

The fifth family is the last set of endings.

Words in This Pattern

resdies