I Want You to Come

Level 4

Name the person who acts in the accusative and put the action in the infinitive.

How It Works

VerbMeaningExample
volowantVolo te venire.
nolodo not wantNolo te currere.
cupiolong forCupio te adesse.
iubeoorderIubeo te sedere.
vetoforbidVeto te abire.

When the person who wants is also the person who acts, Latin uses the infinitive alone: Volo venire means I want to come. When someone else acts, that person goes into the accusative.

Unlike volo, iubeo and veto always have an accusative before the infinitive.

English says want you to come, with the little word to. Latin has no word for it: te venire is enough.

Examples (5)

  1. Volo te venire.

    I want you to come.

    Te is the person who is to come.

  2. Magister pueros sedere iubet.

    The teacher orders the boys to sit down.

    Pueros is the accusative and sedere is the infinitive.

  3. Nolo te hoc facere.

    I do not want you to do this.

    Nolo takes the accusative te and the infinitive facere.

  4. Pater filium domi manere vetat.

    The father forbids his son to stay at home.

    Vetat takes filium and manere.

  5. Sacerdos populum orare iubet.

    The priest tells the people to pray.

    Populum is the accusative and orare is the infinitive.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the person in the nominative.

    Volo tu venire.
    Volo te venire.

    The person who is to come is the subject of the infinitive, so it takes the accusative: te, not tu.

How It Connects

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

I Want You to ComeLevel 4

Learn This First

Wanting verbs take the same pattern as saying verbs, and volo is the model.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

volonolocupioiubeoveto