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Questions & Answers about Ego canem video.
Why is the pronoun Ego used at all when video already indicates "I see"?
In Latin, the verb video is indeed conjugated for the first-person singular ("I see"). This means Ego (the subject pronoun for "I") is technically optional. However, it can be added for emphasis or clarity—for instance, to contrast with someone else seeing the dog or to strongly emphasize that it is "I who see the dog."
Why does canem end in -em instead of being canis?
Latin nouns change their endings (they are "declined") depending on their grammatical function in the sentence. Canis is the nominative form (used for the subject), while canem is the accusative form (used for the direct object). Since the dog is being "seen," it's in the direct object position and takes the accusative case.
Is the word order Ego canem video mandatory?
No. Latin word order is quite flexible because the cases (like accusative) tell you the function of each word. You could say Canem ego video, Video canem ego, etc. However, the standard or more neutral word order in Latin is often S–O–V (Subject–Object–Verb), which is why you commonly see it as Ego canem video.
Do I always need to capitalize Ego like we do in English for "I"?
No, in standard Latin texts you wouldn't necessarily capitalize ego. Unlike in English, the first-person pronoun in Latin is not habitually capitalized. You might see it capitalized if it starts a sentence or if there's a stylistic reason to do so, but it's not a rule.