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Latin grammar

CEFR A2

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Test yourself (15 questions)

Latin Yes-No Questions: -ne, nonne and num

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 11 October 2026

Latin marks a yes-no question at the front of the sentence, and the marker tells you which answer the speaker expects. - is open, expects yes, expects no.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Pick the Latin that matches the English.

  1. You are coming, aren't you?

  2. You aren't coming, are you?

  3. Are you coming?

open questionexpects yesexpects noWhat do the colours mean?

The three markers on one screen

LatinEnglishExpects
Venisne?Are you coming?either
?You are coming, aren't you?yes
?You aren't coming, are you?no

Translate and with an English question tag: aren't you?, are you? The tag carries the expectation in English exactly as the Latin word does.

-ne: the open question

Glue - onto the first word of the sentence, usually the verb:

venis, you are coming, becomes venisne, are you coming?
  • ? - Do you have water?
  • Estne ? - Is the king in the city?
  • Vidistine ? - Did you see father?

Whatever word comes first is the one being asked about. Put first, and the question is about you:

  • Tune ? - Are you coming?

nonne: expecting yes

is with - on it, so it asks is it not so? The speaker expects agreement:

  • ? - He is your father, isn't he?
  • ? - You see it, don't you?

num: expecting no

expects the answer no, often with a note of disbelief:

  • ? - You don't see God, do you?
  • ? - Surely he isn't the king?

Saying yes and no

Latin has no single word for yes or no. The commonest answer repeats the verb:

QuestionYesNo
Venisne?. I am coming. . I am not.
?. I have. . I have not.

Short words do the job too:

LatinEnglish
yes, that is so
yes, certainly
yes, even so
no, not at all
no, not so
  • Venisne? . - Are you coming? Yes.
  • ? . - Surely he isn't the king? Not at all.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
?Venisne?- is joined to the word
? (yes?) ? expects no
Ubine ? ?a question word needs no -

What to do next

  1. Turn three statements into questions with -.
  2. Then add and and say the English tag aloud.
  3. For questions with who, where and why, see the question words.

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/6

What answer does the speaker expect?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Build the word

0/3

Turn the statement into an open question.

  1. venis (you are coming) -> are you coming?

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. habes (you have) -> do you have?

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. est (he is) -> is he?

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Pick the right one

0/3

Pick the Latin that matches the English.

  1. You are coming, aren't you?

  2. You aren't coming, are you?

  3. Are you coming?

Translation drill

0/3

Translate, keeping the expected answer.

  1. Venitne?

  2. Nonne rex est?

  3. Num deum vides?

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Frequently asked questions

How do you ask a yes or no question in Latin?
Add -ne to the first word of the sentence, usually the verb: venisne, are you coming? , do you have water? The -ne is the question mark, said aloud. Without it, is a plain statement, you are coming.
What is the difference between and ?
The answer the speaker expects. expects yes: , you are coming, aren't you? expects no: , surely you are not coming? English does the same with question tags (aren't you, are you), and the tag is the best way to translate them.
How do you say yes and no in Latin?
There is no single word for either. The commonest answer repeats the verb: venisne? , I am coming; or , I am not. For yes you also meet , and ; for no, , not at all, or .
Where does -ne go in a Latin question?
On the first word, whatever it is. Usually that is the verb, as in venitne, is he coming? Put another word first and -ne asks about that word: tune , are YOU coming? It is written joined to the word, with no space.
Does every Latin question need -ne?
No. A question with a question word (, , ) needs nothing else, and in speech and in comedy a plain sentence said as a question is common enough: ? Are you coming? The -ne is the written signal when there is no question word.