Yes, no and the essentials in Latin
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Latin words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Latin phrases in this lesson
- ItaEE-ta
- Yes
- Nonnohn
- No
- BeneBEH-neh
- Okay
- Non intellegonohn in-TEL-eh-go
- I don't understand
- Loquerisne Anglice?lo-KWEH-ris-neh AN-gli-keh
- Do you speak English?
- Iterum dic, quaesoEE-te-rum DEEK, KWAY-so
- Can you repeat that?
- Lente, quaesoLEN-teh, KWAY-so
- Slowly, please
- Quid est hoc?kwid est HOK
- What is this?
- Mihi opus est...MEE-hee O-pus est
- I need...
- Potesne me adiuvare?po-TES-neh meh ad-yoo-WAH-reh
- Can you help me?
Ita means yes, is so. Also ita vero (yes indeed), the emphatic form. Simple ita is the everyday answer.
Non is the basic negation. Minime (certainly not) is more emphatic. In Latin, non negates verbs; nullus negates nouns (no one, nothing).
Bene means well, good. Used as an acknowledgement. Recte (correctly) or benissime (very well) are stronger affirmations.
Intellego means I understand. Non intellego is the negation. Intellegisne? (do you understand?) is the question form.
Literally "say it again, I ask".
As in the motto "festina lente", hurry slowly.
Literally "for me there is need of ...", followed by the ablative.