# Canis albus est. vs. Avis alba est.



## Jsbach218

I'm using the Rosetta Stone program to study Latin and I've come across discrepancies in the adjectives which I can't explain. Why is "white" spelled "albus" when referring to a dog (Canis albus est), but "alba" when referring to a bird (Avis alba est)? Is one feminine and the other masculine? If so, I'm assuming "alba" is the feminine version and "albus" is the masculine, am I correct? Are there any helpful hints as to figuring out whether a noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter? 

Also, how would one translate the sentence "Canis albus magnus est"? Would it be "It is a big white dog" or "The dog is big and white"? I know Latin has no definite articles, but does it have indefinite articles? Thanks in advance and I apologize for any deviations from the posting guidelines, as this is only my second post.


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## J.F. de TROYES

Welcome on this forum!

Your assumptions are right since "canis" is masculine and "avis" feminine ; so you have to agree adjectives with the case, the gender and the number ( sing./pl.). As you see from these examples  the gender of the names doesn't always depend on its ending and if you don't know it, you have to look it up in a dictionary. However most of the names pertaining to the first declension are feminine except some of them designating a job ( scriba-ae, agricola-ae...) or a river (Garumna-ae) ; the names of the second declension are chiefly masc. with the ending -us except the ones designatig trees ( fagus-i) and some countries (Aegyptus). As for the 3rd declension all genders are possible ( avis,is ; canis-is ), but some endings can help to make out masc. and fem. on one hand, neuters on the other.
Latin has not indefinitive articles either.
"Canis albus magus est" = "The white dog is big"
"Canis albus et magnus est" or "canis albus magnusque est= "The dog is white and big " or "It's a white and big dog" ( Depends on the context)


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## poopman69

I believe canis can actually be either masculine or feminine. I don't think Rosetta Stone would be a very effective way to learn Latin especially if used alone. Emphasis for Latin is primarily on reading.


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## J.F. de TROYES

poopman69 said:


> I believe canis can actually be either masculine or feminine. I don't think Rosetta Stone would be a very effective way to learn Latin especially if used alone. Emphasis for Latin is primarily on reading.



Let's say this name has not a feminine form like in French "chien" (Masc.) and "chienne" (Fem.), but is equivalent to the word "dog".


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## mimmi

I think the translation is: "The white dog is big", menawhile, for example, the brown one is not so big..

Avis is feminine so (albus, alba, album) "alba", because the subject and adjetive are: nominative, feminine, singular.
The same with "canis albus est": canis and albus, nominative, masculine, singular.

Bye


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## relativamente

No.Latin language does not have articles nor definite nor indefinite.
One important rule that has no exception is that all nouns ending with UM are neutral and form the plural nominative with the ending A
Exemplum  exempla


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## Pinairun

relativamente said:


> No.Latin language does not have articles nor definite nor indefinite.
> One important rule that has no exception is that all nouns ending with UM are neutral and form the plural nominative with the ending A
> Exemplum exempla


 

And what about 4th declension? Cornu (sing.), cornua (pl.), neutral.


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## Fred_C

Pinairun said:


> And what about 4th declension? Cornu (sing.), cornua (pl.), neutral.


 Please.
Revise your logic.
What was said was:
All nouns ending in UM are neutre
Not the converse.

And actually, it is :
"All nouns that have a nominative singular ending in UM are neutre".


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## Pinairun

Res convenit

Avë


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## poopman69

J.F. de TROYES said:


> Let's say this name has not a feminine form like in French &quot;chien&quot; (Masc.) and &quot;chienne&quot; (Fem.), but is equivalent to the word &quot;dog&quot;.



 But it can regularly take both masculine and feminine adjectives, right?


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## Pinairun

My dictionary of latin says: "Canis",  masculine and feminine.

So, I think that we can say: _Canis magna est_ or _Canes magnae sunt_

_Avë_


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## J.F. de TROYES

poopman69 said:


> But it can regularly take both masculine and feminine adjectives, right?



You're right


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