Questions & Answers about Hic mensis brevis est, sed alius mensis longior erit.
Hic is the masculine nominative singular form of the demonstrative adjective/pronoun meaning this.
It is masculine nominative singular here because it modifies mensis (month), which is:
- masculine
- singular
- the subject of the sentence
So:
- hic mensis = this month
Latin demonstratives change form depending on gender, number, and case, so you cannot always use hic in every situation.
Because mensis is a masculine noun.
The forms are different by gender:
- hic = masculine nominative singular
- haec = feminine nominative singular
- hoc = neuter nominative singular
Since mensis is masculine, Latin uses hic:
- hic mensis = this month
Even though some English learners may expect something like hoc for this, Latin has to match the noun’s gender.