semel, bis, ter, singuli, bini (Once, Twice, Three Times, One Each, Two Each)

Once, Twice, One Each

Level 6

Adverbs count the times. Distributives count each person or thing.

How It Works

NumberHow many timesHow many each
1semelsinguli
2bisbini
3terterni
4quaterquaterni
7septiessepteni

From five on, the adverbs end in -ies: quinquies, decies, septuagies.

Use the adverb when you count events and the distributive when you count groups. Singuli is plural even though it means one each, because it describes many soldiers one at a time.

Distributives also mean in twos or in threes: pueri bini veniunt (the boys come two by two). With nouns that have only a plural form, they replace the cardinal numbers.

Examples (5)

  1. Marcus semel, Iulia bis, Lucius ter ad forum it.

    Marcus goes to the forum once, Iulia twice and Lucius three times.

    Semel, bis and ter do not change.

  2. Bis dat qui cito dat.

    He gives twice who gives quickly.

    A Roman saying. Bis tells how many times.

  3. Singuli milites singulos libros accipiunt.

    Each soldier receives one book.

    Singuli and singulos agree with their nouns and mean one each.

  4. Pueri bini ad scholam veniunt.

    The boys come to school two by two.

    Bini agrees with pueri.

  5. Non dico tibi usque septies, sed usque septuagies septies.

    I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

    Matthew 18:22. Septies and septuagies septies are numeral adverbs.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the plain number for two each.

    Pueri duos libros accipiunt.
    Pueri binos libros accipiunt.

    Pueri duos libros accipiunt is good Latin, but it means the boys receive two books in all. For two books each, use the distributive binos.

How It Connects

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

semel, bis, ter, singuli, bini (Once, Twice, Three Times, One Each, Two Each)Level 6Once, Twice, One Each

Learn This First

Numeral adverbs never change, so the numbers and the adverbs that do not change come first.

Words in This Pattern

semelbisterquaterquinquiessingulusbinusternus