"Marcus urbem non condit."

Translation: Marcus does not build a city.

[Mark644879]

What a lazy dude Marcus is compared to Corinna, he should have known that millennia later Latin students would find him lacking.

[BeefTestos4]

Marcus was actually a nihilstic anarchist. He would later go on to destroy all Corina's cities. In the end entropy claims all. FOR THE DARK GODS! FOR CHAOS!

[guizai2001]

ASMODEUS VULT!

[PERCE_NEIGE]

But Markus is you?
(Mark)

[basilio443755]

You made my day brighter

[Ivitcyex]

Well, he is either half-asleep or stupid.

[DeadAccount.]

Maybe both.

[SimonRusht1]

Why not urbs?

[Luca191001]

Urbem is accusative case of urbs
Nom. Urbs
Gen. Urbis
Dat. Urbi
Acc. Urbem
Abl. Urbe

[studygerman]

Are these taught when using the desktop (web browser) version of Duolingo, because I'm on mobile and see no lessons for Latin.

[SimonRusht1]

There are some notes for each topic in browser version.

[mona208606]

Yes

[Lupkorvo]

THE city is right too.

[NilKuturma1]

I think it is too easy to just tip on the word and see the translation. It would make sense if you could see the transalation of the new words. Otherwise is is just too easy!

[mona208606]

It's also easy to just not use them. I happen to like the opportunity to double check.

[EmilGentil1]

How does one know that it is not the city that Marcus builds?

[TinoAriza]

Yeah, there's a rumor that that weirdo Marcus is building SOMETHING in his garage -- if not a city, what else could it be ?? Haha !! Like Jobs and Wozniak built Apple Corp. in their garage, so maybe we shouldn't sell Marcus short lol !!

[Shtef11]

Why is "urbes" used in some cases, and "urbem" in others?
I know it's the Accusative case here, but when is the Nominative used then?

[Abrao733245]

Because Urbes, in the Nominativo is used when you only give some reference of it but Urbem in the accusative case is the object of the sentence.

[mona208606]

Urbs, nom. singular
Urbes, nom. plural
Urbem, acc. singular

[Theloniouss]

How come can I know that it is City and not cities? What makes it singular?

[TinoAriza]

Marcus urbēs nōn condit. = Marcus does not found cities. -- "urbem" is accusative singular, "urbēs" is accusative plural -- accusative case because direct object of verb -- long vowel markers, BTW, are of potential importance for understanding poetic meters, and often for understanding which syllables should be accentuated in longer words --

[PauloMuffato]

This sentence is totally unnusual.

[ChristerBe2]

Hovering over 'urbem' gives a pronounciation that must have originated in Sweden or Norway. These are the only languages having 'u' pronounced like that. Please replace.

[Gfldo]

Hello,

You can report incorrect audio by clicking on the "Report" button at the bottom left of the screen. Otherwise, the course makers will not be made aware of it.

[DebF26]

The phrasing here is confusing. Does this mean he doesn't build A city, he builds lots of them? In what other context would the sentence work?

[Lupkorvo]

THE city is rigjt too.

[Wes69754]

Is "Marcus does not build the city." acceptable. Feel like urbe is a city and urbem is thecity.

[Gfldo]

Hello,

Yes, "Marcus does not build the city" is correct... but not because of "urbem".

In Latin, there are no articles, so you are left to chose to use wether "the" or "a" (depending from the context, your taste...)

Latin is a language with declensions: the ending of nouns (and adjectives) changes according to their grammatical function in the sentence. There are many functions attached to each case, but in general:

• nominative: subject, predicative => "Rome is a city" / "Roma URBS est"
• vocative: direct adress => "City, you are beautiful" / "URBS, pulchra es"
• accusative: direct object => "He builds a/the city" / "URBEM condit"
• genitive: attributive => "Romulus is the creator of the city" / "Romulus creator URBIS est"
• dative: indirect object => "I write a letter to the city" / "URBI epistulam scribo"
• ablative: origin of a movement and... many things => "I come from the city" / "Ab URBE venio"