He Says, He Said: ait, inquit

Says He: Ait, Inquit

Level 5

Inquit stands inside or after the quoted words. Ait can also come before them.

How It Works

Both forms are present tense. Inquit and ait refer to a speech that is already finished, so translate them as said.

Aiunt also begins a report with the accusative and infinitive: aiunt multi (many say that).

Other tenses come from dico: dixit (he said), dicet (he will say). Aio does have an imperfect, aiebat (he was saying).

Latin has no quotation marks, so inquit and ait show where the spoken words begin and end.

Venio, inquit Marcus.
I am coming, said Marcus.
Inquit stands after the first word of the quotation.
Quid ais, Iulia?
What do you say, Iulia?
Ais is the second person of aio.
Hoc, inquam, verum est.
This, I say, is true.
Inquam is the first person, and it sits inside the quotation.
Aiunt multi villam esse magnam.
Many say that the house is big.
Aiunt begins a report, followed by the accusative and infinitive villam esse magnam.
Ait Iesus ad eum: Quia hodie salus domui huic facta est.
Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house.
Luke 19:9. Ait comes first here. Quia begins the words that were said.

Opening a quotation with inquit.
Inquit Marcus: Venio.
Venio, inquit Marcus.
In classical Latin inquit stands inside or after the quotation. To name the speaker first, use dixit or ait.

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

He Says, He Said: ait, inquitLevel 5Says He: Ait, Inquit

These verbs introduce speech and have few forms.

aioinquam

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