Laudare is the Latin word for 'praise,' and here's how it differs from gloria, fama, and honorare.

Let me start with a tiny puzzle that packs a lot of meaning: what Latin word is translated to "praise" in English? The options you might see are A) Laudare, B) Gloria, C) Fama, D) Honorare. If you know a little Latin, you might already feel the answer nudging you—Laudare. And you’d be right. But there’s more to the story than just picking a letter.

Laudare: the star verb of praise

Laudare is the infinitive form of a classic Latin verb that means to praise, commend, or express admiration for someone or something. It’s the neat, clean little engine behind lots of praise-slinging in Roman literature. Think about it this way: the root lauda- in laudare carries the action itself—the act of praising, not just a one-off compliment.

If you’ve ever seen the English word laud, you’ll recognize the bridge. Laud comes straight from the same Latin root, carrying the same sense of giving honor through words. You’ll also find cousins like laudable, which means something worth praising. And yes, the idea of praising—in Latin or English—has a social weight to it. It’s not just “good job”; it’s an acknowledgment that elevates the person or thing being praised.

The other options and what they mean

Let’s give a quick tour of the alternatives so you can see why laudare fits the bill for “praise.”

• Gloria = glory. This is about high renown, splendor, the grand aura around a person, place, or achievement. It’s what you’d call a winner’s halo, not the verb for praising someone in the moment.

• Fama = fame or reputation. This leans into what others say about you, the buzz that travels through the grapevine. It’s a noun that captures social regard rather than the act of praising.

• Honorare = to honor. This is a respectful action, a form of esteem, but it’s more about showing respect than directly expressing praise in the moment.

When you put them side by side, laudare lines up with the act of saying “well done” or “bravo,” the immediate expression of praise. The other three point to glory, reputation, or honoring in a more formal or broader sense.

A quick peek under the hood: Latin verbs and the -are family

Laudare is a textbook example of a 1st conjugation verb, ending in -are. That tells you a lot about how it behaves across tenses and voices. If you’re just starting with Certamen-style topics (the beginner-friendly Latin challenges many students enjoy), recognizing -are verbs gives you a reliable mental shortcut. Here’s a handy pattern you can carry around:

• Infinitive: laudare (to praise)

• Present tense, I praise: laudo

• You praise: laudas

• He/she/it praises: laudat

• We praise: laudamus

• You (plural) praise: laudatis

• They praise: laudant

That simple -are ending is a doorway to a whole family of verbs your Latin journey will meet again and again. The trick is not memorizing one verb in isolation but noticing the pattern. Once you spot the pattern, you can read or form sentences with confidence, even when you bump into less familiar words.

Why this little question matters beyond the quiz

Understanding a single word like laudare does more than fill in a blank. It helps you connect phonetics, meaning, and use. Here are a few practical takes:

• Cognitive glue: Linking the English “laud” or “laudable” to the Latin laudare makes it easier to remember. When you hear praise in a Roman text, you’ll have a ready-made mental tag.

• Cultural texture: Romans valued rhetoric highly. Praise wasn’t casual—it was part of political and social life. Seeing the word laudare helps you sense that texture, not just translate a line.

• Language transfer: Latin and English share many roots. The more you map those connections, the easier it becomes to guess meanings of unfamiliar words that share roots.

A tiny digression that feels natural in a Certamen chat

Speaking of roots, you’ll find that many Latin words connected to praise or honor pop up in different forms. For example, laudare has a cousin in the noun laudatio (a formal praise or laudation). You’ve likely encountered the verb occur in phrases like “laudatio virtue” in translation work, or in speeches where a patron is lauded for their generosity. It’s not just a vocabulary drill; it’s a window into how Romans shaped ideas with language.

Memorization tricks (without feeling like homework)

If you’re building a mental map for Certamen-type topics, a few quick tricks can help you anchor this word in memory:

• Visual cue: Picture a simple stage with a speaker saying “laudare,” and the crowd responding with “laud!” That image ties sound to action.

• Sound-alike link: The English word laud is a direct cousin. Think of a courtroom or a theater where praise flows like a wave—loud and clear.

• Root family drill: Group together -are verbs you know (amare, laborare, laudare). Notice how the endings shift with person and tense. That reinforces the pattern rather than memorizing each form from scratch.

A practical example in a sentence

Latin lends itself to compact, expressive lines. Here’s a clean little example you might hum through in your head:

• Politician laudat populum, sed laudetur voce multorum.

This translates roughly to “The politician praises the people, even if the voice of many praises.” You’ll notice the verb forms shift as the sentence needs, but the core idea—praise as an action—resonates with laudare.

Connecting to real-world Latin resources

To deepen understanding, you can peek at:

• Perseus Digital Library (tufts.edu/perseus) for Latin texts and word forms

• The Latin Library for original passages if you want to see laudare in context

• Allen and Greenough’s New Latin Grammar for verb conjugation patterns

• An intermediate Latin dictionary or a learner’s Latin vocabulary list that highlights roots and cognates

These tools aren’t a syllabus; they’re a map. They help you explore how a single word fits into larger passages, arguments, and styles.

A little rhythm of learning: keep it light, stay curious

Remember, learning Latin—even the beginner’s corners of it—works best when it’s alive. If you’re reading a Roman orator, praise isn’t just a line; it’s a social instrument, a way of guiding opinion and shaping memory. Laudare isn’t merely about translating a noun; it’s about understanding an action that has teeth in history, rhetoric, and everyday speech.

Let me explain with a quick analogy. Imagine you’re at a street festival. People clap, cheer, and—very deliberately—commend the performers who moved them. In Latin, that moment is often captured with laudare in its many forms. The verb is the heartbeat behind the applause, the linguistic seed from which many phrases spring.

A tiny, friendly recap

• Laudare means “to praise.” It’s the infinitive form, the root of what English learners recognize as “laud” and “laudable.”

• The other options—gloria, fama, honorare—refer to glory, fame, and honoring respectively. They’re related concepts, just not the direct act of praising.

• This pattern is a great entry point into Latin verb conjugations and a gateway to appreciating how Latin phrasing shapes meaning.

• Resources like Perseus, Latin dictionaries, and standard grammars can help you see laudare in living texts and connect the dots across the language.

A final thought to carry with you

If you ever wonder why Latin feels so present in English, this example is a good Monday-morning reminder. A single word—laudare—can illuminate history, culture, and a kind of human connection that transcends time. The act of praising, of expressing approval, is timeless. In Latin, as in life, a few well-chosen words carry a lot of weight.

So next time you encounter a Latin line about praise, you’ll hear more than a translation. You’ll hear a careful gesture, a social moment, a little spark of dialogue that echoes through the ages. Laudare isn’t just a verb; it’s a doorway to understanding how language captures how we think, thank, and celebrate one another.

If you want a quick, friendly check-in, try spotting lauda- words in short passages you come across this week. See how the speaker uses praise, what’s being praised, and how the form of the verb changes to fit the moment. It’s a small exercise, but it can make the language feel a lot more approachable—and a lot less abstract.

And that’s the heart of studying Latin at a beginner’s pace: clarity, curiosity, and a sense that you’re joining a long conversation that people started long before us. Laudare is a good first line to memorize, a strong anchor for your growing Latin compass, and a reminder that even the oldest words can feel surprisingly relevant when you bring them into your own voice.