feriō
To hit in Latin is feriō. If unsure, use feriō. Wiktionary also lists battuo and pello.
Meaning: to administer a blow (verb)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA |
|---|---|
| feriō | |
| battuo | [ˈbat.tu.oː] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈbat.tu.o] (narrow) |
| pello | [ˈpɛl.loː] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈpɛl.lo] (narrow) |
| pulso | [ˈpʊɫ.soː] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈpul.so] (narrow) |
These verbs are used to describe the act of administering a blow or striking something.
Which one should you use?
feriō is the most general term for striking or hitting and is often used for physical blows. In contrast, pello implies a strike that results in driving or pushing something away rather than just a simple contact blow. battuo is a much rarer term for hitting compared to the more common feriō.
How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive form of the default verb feriō is ferīre.
Did you know?
- The English word 'battle' is a distant relative of the rare Latin hitting verb battuo, both stemming from roots related to striking.
- The word pulso is actually a 'frequentative' form of pello, which means it was specifically constructed to describe hitting something repeatedly or continuously.
- The Latin word pulsus, the past participle of pulso, is the ancestor of many English words related to rhythmic or repetitive hitting, such as 'pulse'.
Examples in context
- Ille gladio ferit hostem.He hits the enemy with a sword.
- Equus regem impulit.The horse struck the king.
- Contundit caput lapide.He hits the head with a stone.
- Hostes contunduntur.The enemies are being crushed.
- Christianus me perculit talo.The Christian lightly hit me with his foot.
- Tintinnābulum feriō ut audiātur.I hit the bell so it may be heard.
Example conversation
Claudia and Gaius are arguing during a training session.
- ClaudiaCur me feris?Why are you hitting me?
- GaiusQuia male pugnas, Claudia.Because you fight poorly, Claudia.
- ClaudiaNunc te feriō!Now I hit you!
- GaiusCave, Gaium non vincis.Careful, you will not beat Gaius.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hit” translations and entries battuo, pello, pulso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries battuo, pello, pulso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
