What is the ablative case used for and how is it translated?

The ablative case is used in several instances. A noun in the ablative case can usually be translated with the meanings 'by', 'from', or 'with'.Certain prepositions or verbs take the ablative case, such as 'pro', 'e, ex', 'cum' and 'abutor' and then the translation will be the meaning of the preposition instead.The ablative is also used to show location and time, to mean where and when: for example at a certain hour (tertia hora = at the third hour) or in a city or building (in foro = in the forum, as opposed to in forum = into the forum)Other common uses of the ablative case are for comparison, (puella senior puero est = the girl is older than the boy); for price (Agricola porcum decem denariis emit = Agricola bought the pig for ten denarii); and in a construction called the ablative absolute formed of a verb participle and adjoining noun, both in the ablative case which usually translates using 'with' or 'while' depending on the tense. For example 'verbis dictis' means 'with these words having been said', literally but can be translated more naturally 'having said these words...'. This example uses the perfect passive participle, 'dictis'. A present participle can also be used however to mean 'while', 'verbis dicentis', 'while he was saying the words...'There are some other more specific uses of the abaltive which arise in but are best explained when encountered in a text.