I Have: mihi est

Level 3

Word for word, the thing is to the owner.

How It Works

LatinWord for wordEnglish
Mihi est liber.a book is to meI have a book.
Iuliae sunt duo fratres.to Iulia are two brothersIulia has two brothers.
Nobis est villa.a house is to usWe have a house.

The owner is in the dative: mihi (to me), tibi (to you), nobis (to us), Iuliae (to Iulia). The thing owned is in the nominative, because it is the subject of est or sunt.

Latin also says Librum habeo, which means the same. The dative pattern is the one you already know from mihi nomen est.

Examples (5)

  1. Mihi est liber.

    I have a book.

    Mihi is the owner in the dative. Liber is the subject.

  2. Iuliae sunt duo fratres.

    Iulia has two brothers.

    Sunt agrees with duo fratres, the things owned.

  3. Tibi sunt multi amici.

    You have many friends.

    Tibi is the dative of tu.

  4. Nobis est villa in Italia.

    We have a house in Italy.

    Nobis is the dative of nos, and villa is the subject.

  5. Petro est frater Andreas.

    Peter has a brother, Andrew.

    Petro is the dative of Petrus. Andreas names the brother.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the nominative for the owner.

    Ego est liber.
    Mihi est liber.

    The owner needs the dative: mihi. Ego would make the speaker the subject.

  • Making the verb agree with the owner.

    Iuliae est duo fratres.
    Iuliae sunt duo fratres.

    The two brothers are the subject, and they are plural, so the verb is sunt.

How It Connects

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

I Have: mihi estLevel 3

Learn This First

The owner is in the dative and the thing owned is the subject of est.

Words in This Pattern

egosum