Humanities History & Culture How to Decline Latin Demonstrative Pronouns: Hic, Ille, Iste, Is Demonstratives point out a person or thing for special attention Share Flipboard Email Print Coyau / Wikimedia Commons, via Wikimedia Commons History & Culture Ancient History & Culture Ancient Languages Basics Major Figures & Events Greece & Sparta Egypt Asia Rome Literature Mythology & Religion American History African American History African History Asian History European History Family History & Genealogy Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More by N.S. Gill N.S. Gill is a freelance classics and ancient history writer. She has a master's degree in linguistics and is a former Latin teacher. Updated May 30, 2018 If you are learning Latin, whether for your work in biology and medicine, science or law or as a classicist, or if you are studying for your SAT or ACT, this table of demonstrative pronouns will prove to be a useful resource.Latin PronounsAs in almost every language, pronouns are key to the language, standing in conveniently for nouns, proper nouns, and noun phrases. There are seven classes of pronouns but three that stand out as the main categories of pronouns in Latin: personal pronouns ("I, you [singular], he, she, it, we, you [plural] and they"), demonstrative pronouns ("this, that, these, those") and relative pronouns ("who, which"). Demonstrative Pronouns and AdjectivesDemonstratives as a whole point out or designate a person or thing for special attention. Demonstrative pronouns, like nouns, can stand alone, but demonstrative adjectives can't. The forms are the same for both demonstrative pronouns and adjectives in Latin, but a demonstrative adjective needs a noun to modify and the two are usually in close proximity.Hic means "this" when used as a demonstrative pronoun; ille and iste mean 'that'. Hic, as a demonstrative adjective still means "this"; ille and iste still mean "that." Is is a fourth, weaker demonstrative, known as "determinative." As with most rules of grammar, there can be exceptions.Declensions of DemonstrativesDeclining nouns, pronouns and adjectives is a lot like verb conjugation. We identify the root of the word and add endings for agreement. For nouns, pronouns, and adjectives, the endings indicate the grammatical gender, case, and number of the noun. Gender can be masculine, feminine or neuter.Case includes nominative (subject of the verb), genitive (possessive or to be "of" something), dative (to be "to" or "for" something, accusative (the object of the verb) or ablative (to be "by," "with" or "from" something). Number indicates whether the noun is singular or plural. You'll see all three in the tables below of demonstrative pronouns.How to Remember DeclensionsDeclensions are absolutely essential. You have to know them in order to understand Latin. What's a good way to remember pronoun declensions? One reader on Quora.com says his Latin teacher made the class learn "through recitation. The faster it gets, and the more often you do it, [the more] it sticks, it really does." After 15 years, he says, he still knows entire declensions, even though he hasn't recited them in almost as long. But others warn to try not to learn all of the endings at once. First look for patterns, which can add logic to the process and make remembering easier.Demonstrative Pronouns in SentencesHec est concordia. > This is the agreement.Confirmamus hac carta hec maneria domino. > We confirm by this charter these manors to the lord.Lego hoc testamento has predictas septem acras terre. > I bequeath by this will these aforesaid seven acres of land.Hi sunt plegii Edwardi Basset. > These are the pledges of Edward Basset.Declensions of Demonstrative Pronouns This - Hic Haec Hoc Singular PluralNom.hichaechoc hihaehaecGen.huiushuiushuius horumharumhorumDat.huichuichuic hishishisAcc.hunchanchoc hoshashaecAbl.hochachoc hishishis That - Ille Illa Illud Singular PluralNom.illeillaillud illiillaeillaGen.illiusilliusillius illorumillarumillorumDat.illiilliilli illisillisillisAcc.illumillamillud illosillasillaAbl.illoillaillo illisillisillisThat (contemptuously) Iste Ista Istud Singular PluralNom.isteistaistud istiistaeistaGen.istiusistiusistius istorumistarumistorumDat.istiistiisti istisistisistisAcc.istumistamistud istosistasistaAbl.istoistaisto istisistisistisThis, that (weak), he, she, it Is Ea Id Singular PluralNom.iseaid ei(ii)eaeeaGen.eiuseiuseius eorumearumeorumDat.eieiei eiseiseisAcc.eumeamid eoseaseaAbl.eoeaeo eiseiseis Continue Reading