Other languages you would like to learn - Page 4

shouldn't it be ...but I can hardly... ?

and what are declensions? :thinking:

Where Latin gets somewhat tricky is that its nouns undergo a sort of "conjugation" of their own (they're not being conjugated per se, but they change form based on their use within the sentence).

In English:
The rocks fly.
The boy throws the rock.

As you can see, in English (as in Spanish), we only change the form of the nouns to adjust for number (i.e. pluralizing). Thus, in both cases, the noun "rock" looks basically the same. This is also true for Spanish nouns.

On the other hand, in Latin, we learn nouns along with "declension charts" much like one might learn Spanish verbs with conjugation charts. The forms within the chart (called cases) define the use of the word within the sentence.

For example:
"Amicus" is the basic word for friend; it is the nominative form of the noun, meaning that this form is used when the friend is the subject of the sentence.
"Amici" is also the word for friend- it is the accusative form of the noun, meaning that this form is used when the friend is the direct object of the sentence

There are 5 cases along with their plural counterparts within each declension (and there are 5 declensions).

So! After all that rather long-winded post, the point is basically that Latin nouns are declined similarly to how Spanish verbs are conjugated. With Latin, the noun's form defines its use in the sentence.

Irmamar. The language Latin is harder than the English or Spanish inclusive.

I mean, I want to know if there's the possibility to learn the language and use it in someplace.

I know that it's a language very old, but I find interesting the mix up of the language.

Jessica
In this case it's can't because any always corresponds with the negative and will not allow you to make the sentence positive.
For instance we can say:
I can't see any difference:thumbsup:(you can thow hardly in there as a adverb)
but
I can see any difference:thumbsdown:(it's bad English)
Hardly is a adverb that can be used with both negative and positive sentences --but mostly negative.

lots of languages i would love to learn.
Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, German, etc.

Poli and jchen, can't I say "I can hardly...?" = Apenas puedo (I meant: I'm able to remember some declensions, but not all of them, so there is the possibility to remember something, not everything) :confused:

Crotalito, Latin is more difficult than English and Spanish, at leas for me, above all because you have to learn those declensions and the sentence structure is quite different to Spanish: for instance, usually the verb is at the end of the sentence, and you have to distinguish correctly the functions of the elements in a sentence. A small example, compared to Spanish:

Errare humanum est (errar es humano)

Verb: at the end of the sentence
humanum: acusativo (I don't know in English), Direct Object

But if you want to study Latin, don't hesitate and do it ;)

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I see, the words are some hard than Spanish.

But well , I don't believe that the Latin help me much in the labor world.

Thank you.

Yes, you can use "I can hardly..." but you must accompany it with "any" and not "some". :)

I can hardly remember any...
I can only remember some...

The phrase I can hardly means duramente, or Puedo duramente.

Which one?

"I can hardly..." = "Apenas puedo..."

OK, thanks :)

Thank you for you contribution.:)

This is clear and concise explanation of a rule you may not find in grammar books. :thumbsup:

Actually trying to learn Spanish on my own, I would love to learn, some day, Italian, Portuguese, German, Romanian and Greek.

:bad:

Case Nominative Accusative Genitive Dative Ablative

Meaning Subject Direct object Possessive Indirect object Complicated

Singular amicus amicum amici amico amico

Plural amici amicos amicorum amicis amicis

amici can be singular genitive or plural nominative but never accusative.

I studied French for 5 years and Latin for 4, but I don't remember much because I focussed on keeping up my Spanish. I'm tempted at times to study Catalan, but I don't think my Spanish is really good enough yet to divert attention away from it.

:D Well maybe you could help me in that case? ;)

I think Danish would make sense as I speak German and it would most likely be closest to German and Dutch, judging from the geographical position, and what I have seen of it sofar (which I confess is quite limited, usually in manuals and such...) :)

I think that learning Spanish will be difficult enough for me ... but in case I am ever ready to add a third language, I think I want to learn Swahili because I have a heart for working with the poor and the displaced people in East Africa.....

Just for curiosity, Lou Ann... are there many varieties of Swahili or is it a more or less standard language?

In order of priority the languages I would like to learn and that I'm trying to study:
-Spanish?
-English & Japanese (same priority, actually learning and, at least for one more year, the only ones)
-German
-French
-Latin
-Greek
-Chinese
Obviously, I'll try to dominate English, Japanese and Spanish more than nothing, the others... time will say.