Masculine Nouns in -a
Nouns like puella that name men.
How It Works
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | nauta | nautae |
| genitive | nautae | nautarum |
| dative | nautae | nautis |
| accusative | nautam | nautas |
| ablative | nauta | nautis |
The ending tells you the case. The meaning tells you the gender: a sailor is a man, so the adjective is masculine.
Nauta sounds like NOW-tah in both journeys, because au sounds like ow. Poeta is poh-EH-tah.
Other nouns of this kind are agricola (farmer), incola (inhabitant), scriba (scribe) and propheta (prophet). A few Latin names do the same, such as Seneca.
When you read an unknown noun in -a, look at the adjective beside it. A masculine adjective such as bonus tells you the noun names a man.
Examples (5)
- Nauta bonus est.
The sailor is good.
Nauta is masculine, so the adjective is bonus.
- Poeta laetus librum scribit.
The happy poet writes a book.
Poeta takes laetus and is the subject of scribit.
- Agricola in agro est.
The farmer is in the field.
Agricola is the nominative. In agro is in plus the ablative.
- Agricolae laeti sunt.
The farmers are happy.
Agricolae is plural. Laeti is masculine plural.
- Propheta Deum laudat.
The prophet praises God.
Propheta is the subject. Deum is the object.
Common Mistakes
Using a feminine adjective because the noun ends in -a.
Nauta bona est.Nauta bonus est.Nauta names a man, so its adjective is masculine, even though the noun ends in -a.
How It Connects
Learn This First
These nouns look like puella but take masculine adjectives, so the adjective forms come first.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Masculine Nouns in -a in Bubblegum
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