cēna
feminine
The Latin word for "dinner" is cēna.
cēna refers to the evening meal.
Meaning: evening meal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a feminine noun. The form cēnam is used when dinner is the direct object of a verb, such as in "I prepared dinner". The form cēnae is used to express possession (genitive case) or to indicate the purpose of an action (dative case), such as "the price of dinner".
Did you know?
- In wealthy Roman households, the cēna was eaten while reclining on couches in a dining room called the triclinium rather than sitting in chairs.
- The word cēna is the root of the English word 'cenacle', which refers to the upper room where the Last Supper was held.
- In the Roman era, a formal dinner was not just a meal but a social institution called a convivium, which literally translates to 'living together'.
Examples in context
- Mamma nōs ad cēnam advocāvit.Mum called us for dinner.This sentence shows how to express being called to dinner using cēna.Tatoeba #11822508 by alexmarcelo, translation #11817158 by Nuel
- Parentēs eius mē ad cēnam vocāvērunt.His parents invited me to dinner.This sentence shows how to express being invited to dinner using cēna.Tatoeba #5106641 by alexmarcelo, translation #5112098 by CarpeLanam
- Cēnam parāvī.I prepared dinner.This sentence shows how to express preparing dinner using cēna.Tatoeba #5062108 by Wezel, translation #5072687 by CarpeLanam
- Vespera est, tempus cēnae.It's evening, time for dinner.
- Tempus est ad coenam!It's time for dinner!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple discusses their evening meal in a Roman home.
- MarcusCēnamne parābis?Will you prepare dinner?
- LuciaIta, cēnam nunc parō.Yes, I am preparing dinner now.
- MarcusGrātiās tibi agō.I thank you.
- LuciaNihil est, Marce.It is nothing, Marcus.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dinner” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
