Two Objects: doceo, rogo

Level 5

Teach, ask, hide: the person and the thing are both accusative.

How It Works

VerbPersonThingExample
doceopuerosgrammaticamMarcus pueros grammaticam docet.
rogotesententiamRogo te sententiam.
celonosremMarcus nos rem celavit.

The Psalm uses this pattern in a prayer: Doce me iustificationes tuas (Teach me your statutes). Both me and iustificationes are accusative.

With the passive the person becomes the subject and the thing stays in the accusative: pueri grammaticam docentur.

Latin has no word for the English for or from in these sentences. Rogo te sententiam is I ask you for your opinion, and celavit nos rem is he hid the matter from us.

Examples (5)

  1. Marcus pueros grammaticam docet.

    Marcus teaches the boys grammar.

    Pueros is the person and grammaticam is the thing. Both are accusative.

  2. Rogo te sententiam.

    I ask you your opinion.

    Te is the person asked and sententiam is what is asked.

  3. Benedictus es, Domine; doce me iustificationes tuas.

    Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes.

    Psalm 118:12. Doce takes me and iustificationes, both accusative.

  4. Magister nos Latinam linguam docet.

    The teacher teaches us the Latin language.

    Nos is the person, and Latinam linguam is the thing.

  5. Marcus nos rem celavit.

    Marcus hid the matter from us.

    Celavit takes nos and rem, both accusative.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the person in the dative.

    Marcus pueris grammaticam docet.
    Marcus pueros grammaticam docet.

    Doceo puts the person in the accusative, like the thing. Pueris is the dative.

How It Connects

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

Two Objects: doceo, rogoLevel 5

Learn This First

Some verbs take two objects in the accusative, so the accusative comes first.

Words in This Pattern

doceorogo