Learning Latin is one of life’s great joys — but also a little like hiking through a forest of grammar traps. Whether you're just starting or brushing up, there are a few common stumbles almost everyone makes. Good news: they’re easy to fix with a little awareness and a lot of repetition.
Below are ten of the most frequent Latin mistakes beginners make, along with explanations and examples to help you avoid them as you move toward mastery.
Many Latin sentences are not in “subject-verb-object” order like English. That means you can’t guess who’s doing what just by word placement.
For example:
Puella puerum videt. → “The girl sees the boy.”
Even if puerum comes first, the -um ending tells you it’s the object, not the subject.
Beginners often confuse endings from different noun groups — like thinking puella (first declension) behaves like servus (second).
Always match your endings to the correct declension chart — and double-check the gender!
In English, “dog bites man” is very different from “man bites dog.” In Latin, the case endings do all the work, not word order.
Word order in Latin is flexible. Focus on endings, not sequence. This is one of the hardest — and most freeing — shifts for English speakers.
Adjectives must match nouns in gender, number, and case — a detail many beginners forget.
bonus amicus = “a good (male) friend”
bona puella = “a good girl”
If you say bonus puella, it’s like saying “a good he-girl.” Latin minds notice.
Latin doesn't require “to be” to sit in the middle of a sentence. It often comes at the end:
Marcus magister est. = “Marcus is a teacher.”
You’re not wrong if you put it in the middle — but don’t be confused when it shows up elsewhere.
Latin verbs are predictable — once you learn the patterns. But many students forget to identify the conjugation type (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).
amare → amat, “he/she loves”
vidēre → videt, “he/she sees”
Small differences in stem vowels = big differences in meaning and form.
Verbs like esse (to be), posse (to be able), and ire (to go) don’t follow normal patterns. Beginners often memorize regular charts but forget to study these separately.
sum, es, est…
Practice irregulars early and often. They appear constantly, even in the simplest sentences.
Latin is alive on the page. Beginners sometimes focus only on parsing and forget to read for *meaning* or *rhythm*.
Try reading full Latin sentences aloud. Feel the movement, not just the math.
Not every Latin phrase has a one-to-one English equivalent. A translation should reflect the meaning, tone, and context — not just swap words.
Veni, vidi, vici → “I came, I saw, I conquered”
Not: “I have come, I have seen, I have conquered”
Latin often compresses emotion and action into simple forms. Don't overcomplicate it.
Everyone makes mistakes in Latin — even advanced students. It’s a language that rewards slow reading, second drafts, and joyful effort.
If you’re frustrated, you’re doing it right. Keep going.
Check out our post: Essential Latin Grammar Rules for Beginners
Or explore our book: Latin: A Joyously Brief Introduction — available now from Westbrae Literary Group.