VIA: Lesson - Sight Reading Passage

The image shows soldiers working on the Appian way.

Sight Reading Passage

It is very important to practice reading and understanding Latin sentences. Below you will find a sight reading passage. Read each sentence aloud. Think about the tense of each verb you encounter. Is it present, imperfect, future, perfect, pluperfect or future perfect? Then practice translating each sentence into English. As you meet new vocabulary words in the story, think about English cognates and context within the sentences to help you decipher the meaning.

Please listen to the narration of the Latin passage as you read along with the text below.

Via Appia Sight Passage

Latin Text: Working on the Via Appia

Notes and Vocabulary Help

Note: words/phrases that are in bold are explained in the Notes section

Decimus est in via. Maximus et Rufus sunt in via. Decimus laborat. Etiam Maximus et Rufus laborant. Decimus complet et portat. Maximus and Rufus aedificant. Decimus, Maximus, et Rufus laborant. In via laborant. 
  • in via - in (or on) the road (note: this is a prepositional phrase)
  • laborat = present, 3rd singular of laborare
  • Etiam - Also
  • laborant = present, 3rd plural of laborare
  • complet = present, 3rd singular of complere
  • portat = present, 3rd singular of portare
  • aedificant = present, 3rd plural of aedificare

Decimus nuntiat, "Heri laborabamus, hodie laboramus, et cras laborabimus."

Decimus nuntiat, "Nos Romani semper laboramus et aedificamus."
  • Heri - Yesterday (note: this is an adverb)
  • hodie - today (note: this is an adverb)
  • cras - tomorrow (note: this is an adverb)
  • Nos - We (note: Latin does not require a subject pronoun, but will sometime use it for emphasis. Notice that the verb, laboramus, has the 1st person plural ending, which already means "we")
  • semper - always