Hic mensis brevis est, sed alius mensis longior erit.

to be

Breakdown of Hic mensis brevis est, sed alius mensis longior erit.

• sed: but
• brevis: short
• hic: this

Questions & Answers about Hic mensis brevis est, sed alius mensis longior erit.

Why does hic mean this here, and what form is it?

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.

Why is it hic mensis and not hoc mensis?

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.

What case is mensis in?