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Welcome to Lesson 163 of the Latinum Institute Classical Latin Course. This lesson covers inquam (”I say”), one of Latin’s most distinctive defective verbs, used exclusively for introducing direct quotations. This verb appears in virtually every dialogue in classical literature and is essential for understanding how Roman authors presented speech.
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What does INQUAM mean in Latin?
Inquam is a defective verb meaning “I say” (or more often in the third person inquit, “he/she says” or “he/she said”). Unlike regular verbs, inquam exists only in limited forms and is used exclusively to introduce direct quotations—the exact words a speaker utters. It always appears parenthetically within or after the quoted speech, never before it.
How This Lesson Uses INQUAM
In the following examples, you will encounter inquam and its related forms (inquis, inquit, inquiunt) introducing direct speech in various contexts—from simple statements to complex philosophical dialogues. Notice how the verb always follows one or more words of the quoted material, never standing at the beginning.
Educational Content Notice: This lesson is designed for English speakers learning Classical Latin through the construed reading method. All examples progress from simple to complex structures.
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Inquit (3rd person singular) is the most commonly encountered form, meaning “he/she says” or “he/she said” -
The verb is always placed after the first word(s) of the quotation—never before -
Inquam has no infinitive, no passive voice, no gerund, and limited tenses -
Present tense forms translate as either present (”says”) or past (”said”) depending on context -
Contrasted with dīcō, which handles indirect speech and has full conjugation
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inquam [ˈin.kwam] - I say
inquis [ˈin.kwis] - you say
inquit [ˈin.kwit] - he/she/it says (or said)
inquiunt [ˈin.kwi.unt] - they say (or said)
Note: The QU combination in Latin is always pronounced [kw], as in English “queen.” The stress falls on the first syllable in all forms.
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163.1 Venī, come, inquit, he/she says, ad to mē. me.
163.2 Quid what agis? are you doing? inquam. I say.
163.3 Laetus happy sum, I am, inquit he/she says puer. the boy.
163.4 Nōn not intellegō, I understand, inquit he/she says senex. the old man.
163.5 Salvē, greetings, inquiunt they say omnēs. all.
163.6 Vērum true dīcis, you speak, inquam, I say, amīce. friend.
163.7 Cūr, why, inquit, he/she says, hoc this facis? are you doing?
163.8 Egō, I, inquit he/she says rēx, the king, imperium power habeō. I have.
163.9 Nōnne not vidēs? do you see? inquit he/she says philosophus. the philosopher.
163.10 Audīte, listen, inquit he/she says magister, the master, discipulī. students.
163.11 Difficile difficult est, it is, inquam, I say, sed but nōn not impossibile. impossible.
163.12 Mox, soon, inquit he/she says mīles, the soldier, vincēmus. we shall conquer.
163.13 Quid what tandem? then? inquis. do you say?
163.14 Ita yes vērō, truly, inquiunt they say cīvēs, the citizens, cōnsentīmus. we agree.
163.15 Haec, this, inquit he/she says ille, that one, mea my sententia opinion est. is.
- Defective verb: only present and imperfect tenses exist - Word order: typically placed after the first word or phrase of direct speech - Forms used here: - inquit (says - 3SG) - inquam (say - 1SG) - inquis (say - 2SG) - inquiunt (say - 3PL)
1. Placement after opening words: "Venī," inquit (163.1); "Quid," inquam (163.2) 2. With vocatives: "amīce" (163.6), "discipulī" (163.10) 3. With other verbs: "vidēs?" inquit (163.9); "cōnsentīmus" inquiunt (163.14)
- 163.5: inquiunt with plural subject (omnēs) - 163.8: The speaker (rēx) explains his position with imperium - 163.11: inquam introduces a philosophical statement about difficulty - 163.15: ille (that man) provides a concluding opinion
The passage shows a dialogue involving a king, philosopher, teacher, soldier, and citizens discussing obedience, command, and collective agreement. ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
163.1 “Venī,” inquit, “ad mē.” → “Come,” he said, “to me.”
163.2 “Quid agis?” inquam. → “How are you?” I say.
163.3 “Laetus sum,” inquit puer. → “I am happy,” said the boy.
163.4 “Nōn intellegō,” inquit senex. → “I do not understand,” the old man said.
163.5 “Salvē,” inquiunt omnēs. → “Greetings,” they all said.
163.6 “Vērum dīcis,” inquam, “amīce.” → “You speak the truth,” I said, “my friend.”
163.7 “Cūr,” inquit, “hoc facis?” → “Why,” he said, “do you do this?”
163.8 “Egō,” inquit rēx, “imperium habeō.” → “I,” said the king, “have command.”
163.9 “Nōnne vidēs?” inquit philosophus. → “Do you not see?” said the philosopher.
163.10 “Audīte,” inquit magister, “discipulī.” → “Listen,” said the teacher, “students.”
163.11 “Difficile est,” inquam, “sed nōn impossibile.” → “It is difficult,” I said, “but not impossible.”
163.12 “Mox,” inquit mīles, “vincēmus.” → “Soon,” said the soldier, “we shall conquer.”
163.13 “Quid tandem?” inquis. → “What, finally?” you say.
163.14 “Ita vērō,” inquiunt cīvēs, “cōnsentīmus.” → “Indeed so,” said the citizens, “we agree.”
163.15 “Haec,” inquit ille, “mea sententia est.” → “This,” said he, “is my opinion.”
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163.1 “Venī,” inquit, “ad mē.”
163.2 “Quid agis?” inquam.
163.3 “Laetus sum,” inquit puer.
163.4 “Nōn intellegō,” inquit senex.
163.5 “Salvē,” inquiunt omnēs.
163.6 “Vērum dīcis,” inquam, “amīce.”
163.7 “Cūr,” inquit, “hoc facis?”
163.8 “Egō,” inquit rēx, “imperium habeō.”
163.9 “Nōnne vidēs?” inquit philosophus.
163.10 “Audīte,” inquit magister, “discipulī.”
163.11 “Difficile est,” inquam, “sed nōn impossibile.”
163.12 “Mox,” inquit mīles, “vincēmus.”
163.13 “Quid tandem?” inquis.
163.14 “Ita vērō,” inquiunt cīvēs, “cōnsentīmus.”
163.15 “Haec,” inquit ille, “mea sententia est.”
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Grammar Rules for INQUAM in This Passage:
Inquam is classified as a defective verb (verbum dēfectīvum), meaning it lacks many forms that regular verbs possess. The following forms are attested in classical Latin:
Present Indicative Active: -
inquam (I say) - 1st person singular -
inquis (you say) - 2nd person singular -
inquit (he/she/it says) - 3rd person singular -
inquimus (we say) - 1st person plural (rare) -
inquitis (you all say) - 2nd person plural (rare) -
inquiunt (they say) - 3rd person plural
Future Indicative Active: -
inquiēs (you will say) - 2nd person singular -
inquiet (he/she will say) - 3rd person singular
Imperative: -
inque (say!) - 2nd person singular -
inquitō (say!) - future imperative
Forms That Do NOT Exist: -
No infinitive (you cannot say *inquere) -
No passive voice -
No gerund or gerundive -
No subjunctive mood -
No participles (except in compounds)
The cardinal rule for inquam is syntactic: it must be placed parenthetically within or after the quoted material, never before it.
Correct: “Venī,” inquit. (”Come,” he said.)
Incorrect: Inquit “Venī.” (He said “Come.”)
Typically, inquit appears: -
After the first word of the quote: “Quid,” inquit, “agis?” -
After a complete short phrase: “Laetus sum,” inquit. -
Interrupting a longer statement: “Haec,” inquit, “mea sententia est.”
A distinctive feature of inquam is that its present tense forms can translate as either present or past tense in English: -
“Venī,” inquit = “Come,” he says OR “Come,” he said
The context of the narrative determines the appropriate English translation. In historical narratives, inquit typically means “said”; in present-tense dialogue or commentary, it means “says.”
While both verbs relate to speech, they serve different functions:
Feature INQUAM DĪCŌ Speech type Direct only Direct and indirect Position Inside/after quote Before or after Conjugation Defective Full (3rd conjugation) Passive None Full (dīcitur, dictum est) Infinitive None dīcere
Use dīcō when you need indirect speech, passive constructions, or forms inquam cannot provide.
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Placing inquit before the quotation -
Attempting to form an infinitive or passive -
Confusing inquam with indicō (”I point out”) -
Using inquam for indirect speech (use dīcō instead)
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The verb inquam occupies a unique position in Latin literature. Its exclusive function—marking direct quotation—made it essential for the Roman dialogue tradition that flourished in the works of Cicero, Seneca, and other philosophical writers.
Cicero’s Dialogues: The greatest repository of inquam/inquit usage is found in Cicero’s philosophical dialogues: De Finibus, De Natura Deorum, Tusculanae Disputationes, Academica, and others. In these works, Cicero crafted literary conversations between historical figures, using inquit and inquam to create the rhythm of philosophical debate. The pattern “X inquit... Y inquam” (where the author is one speaker) became a hallmark of the genre.
Stylistic Function: The use of inquam creates immediacy and vividness in Latin narrative. By embedding the speech verb within the quotation itself, Roman authors created a seamless flow between narration and dialogue that differs markedly from modern conventions.
Etymology: Inquam derives from the Proto-Indo-European root sekʷ- meaning “to say” or “to utter,” prefixed with en- (”in, into”). It shares this ancestry with Greek ἐνέπω (enépō, “to tell”). The verb’s archaic character is reflected in its defective conjugation—a preservation of ancient speech formulas that predates the standardization of Latin verb paradigms.
Register: Inquam belongs primarily to the literary and formal registers of Latin. In everyday speech, Romans likely used dīcō or ait more frequently. The high frequency of inquam in preserved texts reflects its importance in written, especially philosophical and historical, literature.
Note for English Speakers Learning Latin: The closest English parallel to inquam is the archaic “quoth,” as in “Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore.’” Like inquam, “quoth” is defective (no infinitive, no passive), positioned after the speech begins, and carries a literary flavor.
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From Cicero’s Dē Fīnibus Bonōrum et Malōrum (On the Ends of Good and Evil), Book I:
163.16 Quid what est is inquit says magister the master sapientia wisdom
163.17 Scientia knowledge inquit says prīmus the first discipulus student rērum of things omnium all
163.18 At but inquit says secundus the second nōn not omnia all things scīre to know possumus we are able
163.19 Vērum true dīcis you speak inquit says magister the master
163.20 Quid what igitur therefore inquiunt say discipulī the students
163.21 Sapientia wisdom inquit says ille he est is amor love vēritātis of truth
163.22 Sed but vēritās truth inquam I say difficilis difficult inventū to find
163.23 Ita yes inquit says sed but quaerenda to be sought tamen nevertheless
163.24 Quōmodo how inquit says tertius the third eam it quaerāmus should we seek
163.25 Dīligenter diligently inquit says magister the master et and cum with humilitāte humility
163.26 Nōnne is it not inquit says discipulus the student sapientēs the wise omnēs all fēlīcēs happy sunt are
163.27 Minimē not at all inquit says magister the master
163.28 Cūr why nōn not inquiunt say omnēs all
163.29 Quia because inquit says sapientia wisdom dolōrem pain nōn not tollit removes
163.30 Grātiās thanks tibi to you agimus we give inquiunt say discipulī the students magister master
“Quam ob rem tandem,” inquit, “nōn satisfacit?” → “Why, finally,” he said, “does it not satisfy?”
“Nisi mihi,” inquam, “tū mentītum putās.” → “Unless,” I said, “you think he lied to me.”
“Quam ob rem tandem,” inquit, “nōn satisfacit?”
“Nisi mihi,” inquam, “tū mentītum putās.”
This exchange from Cicero’s philosophical dialogue demonstrates the classic pattern of Latin philosophical conversation. Note how inquit marks Torquatus’s question and inquam marks Cicero’s response—the verb forms efficiently identify the speakers without additional context.
The phrase quam ob rem is an interrogative expression meaning “for what reason” or “why.” The interruption of the question by inquit after the first element (quam) exemplifies the standard parenthetical placement rule.
The construction mentītum putās shows the accusative + infinitive structure in indirect statement, with mentītum being the perfect participle of the deponent verb mentior (”to lie”). Note how Cicero smoothly integrates direct and indirect speech constructions.
Literary Context: This passage comes from a philosophical discussion about Epicurean ethics. The rapid exchange of inquit and inquam creates the sense of lively debate that characterizes Cicero’s dialogues.
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A conversation between a teacher (Magister) and students (Discipulī) on the nature of wisdom:
“Quam which-ACC ob on-account-of rem thing-ACC tandem,” finally inquit, says-3SG “nōn not satisfacit?” satisfies-3SG
“Nisi unless mihi,” to-me-DAT inquam, say-I-1SG “tū you-NOM mentītum having-lied-ACC putās.” think-2SG
163.16 “Quid est,” inquit magister, “sapientia?” → “What is wisdom?” asked the teacher.
163.17 “Scientia,” inquit prīmus discipulus, “rērum omnium.” → “Knowledge,” said the first student, “of all things.”
163.18 “At,” inquit secundus, “nōn omnia scīre possumus.” → “But,” said the second, “we cannot know all things.”
163.19 “Vērum dīcis,” inquit magister. → “You speak the truth,” said the teacher.
163.20 “Quid igitur?” inquiunt discipulī. → “What then?” said the students.
163.21 “Sapientia,” inquit ille, “est amor vēritātis.” → “Wisdom,” said he, “is the love of truth.”
163.22 “Sed vēritās,” inquam, “difficilis inventū est.” → “But truth,” I said, “is difficult to find.”
163.23 “Ita,” inquit, “sed quaerenda tamen.” → “So it is,” he said, “but it must nevertheless be sought.”
163.24 “Quōmodo,” inquit tertius, “eam quaerāmus?” → “How,” said the third, “may we seek it?”
163.25 “Dīligenter,” inquit magister, “et cum humilitāte.” → “Carefully,” said the teacher, “and with humility.”
163.26 “Nōnne,” inquit discipulus, “sapientēs omnēs fēlīcēs sunt?” → “Are not all wise men happy?” said the student.
163.27 “Minimē,” inquit magister. → “Not at all,” said the teacher.
163.28 “Cūr nōn?” inquiunt omnēs. → “Why not?” they all said.
163.29 “Quia,” inquit, “sapientia dolōrem nōn tollit.” → “Because,” he said, “wisdom does not remove pain.”
163.30 “Grātiās tibi agimus,” inquiunt discipulī, “magister.” → “We thank you,” said the students, “teacher.”
163.16 “Quid est,” inquit magister, “sapientia?”
163.17 “Scientia,” inquit prīmus discipulus, “rērum omnium.”
163.18 “At,” inquit secundus, “nōn omnia scīre possumus.”
163.19 “Vērum dīcis,” inquit magister.
163.20 “Quid igitur?” inquiunt discipulī.
163.21 “Sapientia,” inquit ille, “est amor vēritātis.”
163.22 “Sed vēritās,” inquam, “difficilis inventū est.”
163.23 “Ita,” inquit, “sed quaerenda tamen.”
163.24 “Quōmodo,” inquit tertius, “eam quaerāmus?”
163.25 “Dīligenter,” inquit magister, “et cum humilitāte.”
163.26 “Nōnne,” inquit discipulus, “sapientēs omnēs fēlīcēs sunt?”
163.27 “Minimē,” inquit magister.
163.28 “Cūr nōn?” inquiunt omnēs.
163.29 “Quia,” inquit, “sapientia dolōrem nōn tollit.”
163.30 “Grātiās tibi agimus,” inquiunt discipulī, “magister.”
This dialogue demonstrates the natural rhythm of Latin philosophical conversation in the Ciceronian style. Several grammatical features merit attention:
Varied Placement of INQUIT: Notice how the verb appears in different positions relative to the quoted material—sometimes after the first word (”Quid,” inquit), sometimes after a complete clause (”Minimē,” inquit), and sometimes interrupting a longer statement.
Subject Expression: When the subject of inquit is stated, it follows the verb: inquit magister, inquit discipulus. When context makes the speaker clear, the subject is often omitted.
The Supine INVENTŪ: In 163.22, difficilis inventū est uses the ablative supine (inventū from inveniō) to express “difficult with respect to finding” or simply “difficult to find.”
Gerundive Construction: In 163.23, quaerenda (from quaerō) is a gerundive expressing necessity or obligation—”must be sought.”
Deliberative Subjunctive: In 163.24, quaerāmus is a present subjunctive in a deliberative question—”How may we seek...?” or “How should we seek...?”
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The QU Combination: In inquam and all its forms, QU represents the labiovelar [kw], never [k] alone. This combination is pronounced as a single consonant cluster, similar to English “queen.”
Macrons: The forms inquiēs and inquiet show a long ē in the future tense ending, following the pattern of third conjugation future forms (-iēs, -iet).
Stress: All forms of inquam are stressed on the first syllable (ín-quam, ín-quis, ín-quit, ín-qui-unt), following standard Latin penultimate stress rules for words with short penultimate syllables.
Quotation Marks: Classical Latin manuscripts did not use quotation marks. Modern editors add them for clarity. In ancient practice, inquit itself served as the marker distinguishing quoted material.
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute Classical Latin Course, a comprehensive curriculum built on the Dickinson College Core Vocabulary (the 1000 most frequent words in classical Latin literature) and following the construed reading method developed over decades of Latin pedagogy.
The Latinum Institute has been creating online language learning materials since 2006. Our approach emphasizes: -
High-frequency vocabulary: Learning the words you will actually encounter in Roman authors -
Authentic literary examples: Experiencing Latin as the Romans wrote it -
Systematic grammatical progression: Building understanding step by step -
Cultural context: Understanding not just the language but the civilization
For reviews of our materials and methodology, see: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
For the complete course index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Note: This lesson focuses on inquam (Dickinson Core Vocabulary #163), a defective verb essential for reading Latin dialogue and philosophical literature.
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