How do expressions of time work in Latin?

The way time is expressed in Latin depends on whether you are trying to describe the time when an event occurred, or how long an event occurred for. You should always start by asking yourself: am I answering the question when, or how long for?If you are trying to explain when something happened, you should put your expression of time in the ablative: Cicero Romam venit tertio die. Cicero came to Rome on the third dayIf you are trying to describe how long something happened for, you should put your expression of time in the accusative: Augustus imperator multos annos fuit. Augustus was emperor for many years.

ER
Answered by Ellen R. Latin tutor

2240 Views

See similar Latin GCSE tutors

Related Latin GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Give two examples of English words that are derived from the Latin word, 'school' and give their definitions.


What are deponent verbs and how do they work?


What is meant by a grammatical case in Latin (e.g. Nominative, Genitive, Accusative)?


Decline the 5th Declension Noun 'spes'


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning