Case Name
and Typical Meaning / Use

Sing./Plural
Endings

Examples

Nominative

The "subject case": the subject is the word found by asking WHO or WHAT before the verb.

-UM

-A;

dônum, dôna 

Dônum magnum est.
  The gift is large.
 
Dôna  multa puellae placent.
  Many gifts please the girl.

Genitive

The "possession case": The genitive word corresponds to the word that takes an apostrophe in English. If (A) is in the genitive, (A) possesses something else (B), with the emphasis falling on (B), so that (A) is somewhat like a modifier of (B): in student's book (= discipuli liber), the possession-word qualifies the meaning of the noun book. 

-Î

-ÔRUM

dônî, dônôrum

Magnitudo  dônî magna est.
 The size of the gift is large.
 
Numerus dônôrum magnus est.
 The number of gifts is large.

Dative

The "indirect object case": the indirect object is found by asking TO / FOR WHOM? or TO / FOR WHAT? after the verb. Certain verbs govern the dative.

-Ô

-ÎS

dônô, dônîs

Dônô 
  for the gift
 
Dônîs
  for the gifts

Accusative

The "direct object case": the direct object is usually found by asking WHO or WHAT after an action-verb whose action has a receiver. "We hold these truths." The accusative is also used after certain prepositions.

-UM

-A

dônum, dôna 

Puella dônum videt.
 The girl sees the gift. 
 
Dôna puerô dat.
  She gives the gifts to the boy.

Ablative

The "by-with-from case": Certain prepositions take objects in this case. Used alone it can have an adverbial meaning, e.g., indicating how something is done.

-Ô

-ÎS

dônô, dônîs

Dônô vîcit.
  He won by means of a gift.
 
De dônîs scripsit Seneca.
  Seneca has written about gifts.