"I come from the city."

Translation: Ab urbe venio.

[Pitaahio]

Are ab and a the same thing here? With ab used before a vowel and a before a consonant? Or does it have to do with where you're from v where you're presently coming from?

[Quidam_Homo]

They are the same word, yes.

Before a vowel, you must use "ab". Before a consonant, you can use either.

[GunnarRica]

so it's exactly like "a" and "an" in english, right?

[Carol252291]

Thank you

[bobzal]

Ab is used when the following word starts with a vowel. There are a few other words like that will likely pop up in future lessons.

[SimonRusht1]

is 'urbe' ablative here?

[1e7nx0WG]

Yes, the ablative case is used after the preposition a /ab.

[mgaristova]

Is a (ab) always used with the ablative ?

[PERCE_NEIGE]

Yes. a/ab+ ablative = from, away from.

Other possible meaning (not to be memorized so early)

out of
down from
at, on, in
(time) after, since
(source of action or event) by, of

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ab#Latin

[Leon_McNair]

There was a mnemonic device someone said earlier that I took on board, from another question. They said (paraphrase):

"It is ab = ab + "ab"lative.
It is ad = "ad"ccusative.
It is a = a + consonant."

If that helps.

[stefanobellelli]

Why isn't "ex urbe venio" accepted?

[PERCE_NEIGE]

Report it.

I've found "ex urbe venire" in an old Latin/French dictionary, with this meaning "coming from the city".

It's not the only dictionary or grammar book where I've found this construction, so it seems okay.

I've also found that "ex urbe" seems to be used often with verb like "to exit":

"Exire ex urbe" in "Oratio in L. Sergium Catilinam Prima".
("Exire ex urbe" maybe like when you have to go out from the city, because there's a threat)

I don't know if there's a difference in intensity between "ab urbe" and "ex urbe".

[RichardHen85991]

Does urbe mean from the city even without ab? Thinking it did I put Ego urbe venio with the emphasis on "I"

[Alex17149]

I typed "a urbem veno" and I got it right lol