Verba Latina (Verbs)

Verbs are a big part of every language, and Latin is no different. For starters, try to master the four
groups (or conjugations) of active verbs in the present and perfect tenses. This will give you a
grounding in the most common forms. Like nouns, verbs go into groups which, once learnt, allow
you to tackle almost every verb you meet.

Then add in the imperfect and the future, leaving the pluperfect and future perfect aside until later
in your learning. Next there are less common but no less important groups – irregulars, impersonals,
passives and deponents – which have to be tackled. Do this selectively, and, as always, base it in
your reading of texts. The final step is to meet the subjunctive, a whole other mood, which means
(unfortunately) there will be new subjunctive forms, active and passive, in four tenses. But take
things step by step, and use this as a handy reference.

Verbs in Latin are given in four different parts, which give you their important base forms. These are
called a verb’s principal parts, and, for the moment, we’re interested in the first three of them. The
first part is always the first person singular, present active indicative, which to say ‘I walk’, ‘I run’
etc. The second part is the infinitive – ‘to walk’, ‘to run’ etc. – and this one is important because it
tells you which group – 1, 2, 3, or 4 – a verb belongs to (more below). The third principal part is the
first person singular, perfect (or past) active indicative, i.e. ‘I walked’, ‘I ran’ etc. If that all sounds a
bit confusing, things usually become clearer with practice.

Words of two syllables are stressed on the first syllable; for words of three or more syllables, an
accent will tell you where the stress is (cantáre, etc.).

Contents Page

Part 1. Conjugations 1–4: Present and Perfect tenses 2

Part 2. Conjugations 1–4: Imperfect and Future tenses 6
Part 3. Conjugations 1–4: Pluperfect and Future Perfect tenses 8
Part 4: Irregular Verbs 10
Part 5: Impersonal Verbs 12
Part 6: Passive Verbs: Present and Perfect tenses 13
Part 7: Passive Verbs: Imperfect, Future, Pluperfect and Future Perfect tenses 15
Part 8: The Subjunctive, Active and Passive 17
Part 9: Participles 19
Part 10: Quiz 20

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Part 1: Conjugations 1–4, Presents and Perfects

Group 1

canto, cantáre, cantávi, cantátum, ‘I sing’, ‘I am singing’

Every verb that belongs in this group will have an infinitive ending in -are, and will go like cantáre.

Present Active ‘I sing’ ‘I am singing’ Some verbs like cantáre:

cant-o I sing salto, saltáre, saltávi, saltátum ‘to dance’

canta-s You sing amo, amáre, amávi, amátum ‘to love’
canta-t He, she, it sings nato, natáre, natávi, natátum ‘to swim’
cantá-mus We sing creo, creáre, creávi, creátum ‘to create’
cantá-tis You (pl.) sing cógito, cogitáre, cogitávi, cogitátum ‘to think’
canta-nt They sing

Imperative (ordering) forms: cant-a sing! (singular)

cant-áte sing! (plural)

Perfect Active ‘I sang’ ‘I have sung’

cantáv-i I sang
cantav-ísti You sang
cantáv-it He, she, it sang
cantáv-imus We sang
cantav-ístis You (pl.) sang
cantav-érunt They sang

Group 2

dóceo, docēre, dócui, doctum, ‘I teach’, ‘I am teaching’

Every verb that belongs in this group will have an infinitive ending in -ēre and will go like docére.
This long first e in the -ēre is the defining mark of group 2, and should be noted.

Present Active ‘I teach’ ‘I am teaching’ Some verbs like docére:

dóce-o I teach fleo, flēre, flevi, fletum ‘to weep’

doce-s You teach hábeo, habēre, hábui, hábitum ‘to have’
doce-t He, she, it teaches iaceo, iacēre, iácui, íacitum ‘to lie down’
docé-mus We teach máneo, manēre, mansi, mansum ‘to stay’
docé-tis You (pl.) teach rídeo, ridēre, risi, risum ‘to laugh’
doce-nt They teach

Imperative (ordering) forms: doc-e teach! (singular)

docéte teach! (plural)

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Perfect Active ‘I taught’ ‘I have taught’

dócu-i I taught
docu-ísti You taught
dócu-it He, she, it taught
docú-imus We taught
docu-ístis You (pl.) taught
docu-érunt They taught

Now try some setences:

ubi manémus in hoc urbe? Where are we staying in this city?

amávimus natare in mari. We loved to swim in the sea.
ubi fessus sum, iáceo. When I’m tired I lie down.
saltavérant cum gáudio magno. They danced with great joy.
habet ómnia quae vult. She has everything that she wants.

Group 3

mitto, míttere, misi, missum, ‘I send’, ‘I am sending’

Every verb belonging to this group will also end in -ere. The crucial difference is that for group 3
verbs the first e is short, not long (as in group 2): míttere, as opposed to docére. It is important you
learn whether a new -ere verb has a short e or a long e, because this tells you which group it belongs
to. There are many verbs in group 3, and sometimes their principal parts can vary internally, misi
may look fairly similar to mitto, but for a verb like ago, agere, the third part is egi. Which is to say
always do your best to learn the principal parts of new verbs in full, it will help you to recognize
them.

Present Active ‘I send’ ‘I am sending’ Some verbs like míttere:

mitt-o I send dico, dícere, dixi, dictum ‘to say’

mitt-is You send curro, cúrrere, cursi, cursum ‘to run’
mitt-it He, she, it sends edo, édere, edi, esum ‘to eat’
mítt-imus We send bibo, bíbere, bibi, bibitum ‘to drink’
mítt-itis You (pl.) send tango, tángere, tétigi, tactum ‘to touch’
mitt-unt They send

Imperative (ordering) forms: mitt-e send! (singular)

mítt-ite send! (plural)

Perfect Active ‘I sent’ ‘I have sent’

mis-i I sent
mis-ísti You sent
mis-it He, she, it sent
mís-imus We sent
mis-ístis You (pl.) sent
mis-érunt They sent

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3a facio, facere, feci, fectum, ‘I do’ ‘I make’

There are some verbs that straddle groups 3 and 4: their short -ere infinitive means they belong in
group 3, but their forms have extra i’s, just like you find in group 4. Consider facio a slight variation
but don’t let it trouble you too much: if you need to, prioritize mitto and salio (group 4, below).

Present Active ‘I do’ ‘I am doing’ Some verbs like fácere:

fác-io I do cápio, cápere, cepi, captum ‘to take’

fac-is You send cúpio, cúpere, cupívi, cúpitum ‘to desire’
fac-it He, she, it sends aspício, aspícere, aspéxi, aspéctum ‘to look
fác-imus We send at’
fác-itis You (pl.) send
fác-iunt They send *the perfect forms follow mitto, above.

Imperative (ordering) forms: fac do! (singular, irregular)

fác-ite do! (plural)
Now try some sentences:

cúrrimus in viam et animália aspícimus We run into the street and look at the animals.
edi et bibi bene in illa urbe. I ate and drank well in that city.
semper mihi flores mittis. You always send me flowers.
pictúram pulchram fecit She’s made a beautiful picture.
tum non dícere cupívimus At that time we didn’t want to speak.

Group 4

dórmio, dormíre, dormívi, dormítum, ‘I sleep’, ‘I am sleeping’

Every verb belonging to this group will end in -ire.

Present Active ‘I sleep’ ‘I am sleeping’ Some verbs like dormíre:

dórm-io I sleep aúdio, audíre, audívi, audítum ‘to listen’

dorm-is You sleep vénio, veníre, veni, ventum ‘to come’
dorm-it He, she, it sleeps scio, scire, scivi, scitum ‘to know’
dorm-ímus We sleep sálio, salíre, salívi, sáltum ‘to jump’
dorm-ítis You (pl.) sleep sárcio, sarcíre, sarsi, sartum ‘to mend’
dórm-iunt They sleep

Imperative (ordering) forms: dorm-i sleep! (singular)

dorm-íte sleep! (plural)

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Perfect Active ‘I slept’ ‘I have slept’

dormív-i I slept
dormiv-ísti You slept
dormív-it He, she, it slept
dormív-imus We slept
dormiv-ístis You (pl.) slept
dormiv-érunt They slept

Now try some sentences:

noctes longae erant: dormívimus bene. The nights were long: we slept well.
Quid facio? sarcio soleas tuas. What I am doing? I’m mending your sandals.
veníte et audíte: narro fábulam. Come and listen: I’m telling a story.
rana parva in stagno salívit. The little frog jumped into the pond.
scis multa quae néscio. You know many things that I do not know.

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Part 2: Conjugations 1–4, Imperfects and Futures

The imperfect is the continuous past tense, for actions that were in some way continuous, habitual,
unfinished. Your go-to translation word is ‘was’. Both it and the future tense have a very regular set
of endings, but watch one thing: the future endings switch in groups 3 and 4, a challenge for
beginners in that mittam looks like a noun, and one vowel (mittit, mittet) can determine now tense.

Group 1

Imperfect Future

cantá-bam I was singing cantá-bo I will sing

cantá-bas You were singing cantá-bis You will sing
cantá-bat He, she, it was singing cantá-bit He, she, it will sing
canta-bámus We were singing cantá-bimus We will sing
canta-bátis You (pl.) were singing cantá-bitis You (pl.) will sing
cantá-bant They were singing cantá-bunt They will sing

Group 2

Imperfect Future

docé-bam I was teaching docé-bo I will teach

docé-bas You were teaching docé-bis You will teach
docé-bat He, she, it was teaching docé-bit He, she, it will teach
doce-bámus We were teaching docé-bimus We will teach
doce-bátis You (pl.) were teaching docé-bitis You (pl.) will teach
docé-bant They were teaching docé-bunt They will teach

Group 3

Imperfect Future (new endings for 3 & 4)

mitté-bam I was sending mitt-am I will send

mitté-bas You were sending mitt-es You will send
mitté-bat He, she, it was sending mitt-et He, she, it will send
mitte-bámus We were sending mitt-émus We will send
mitte-bátis You (pl.) were sending mitt-étis You (pl.) will send
mitté-bant The were sending mitt-ent They will send

Group 4

Imperfect Future

dormié-bam I was sleeping dórmi-am I will sleep

dormié-bas You were sleeping dórmi-es You will sleep
dormié-bat He, she, it was sleeping dórmi-et He, she, it will sleep
dormie-bámus We were sleeping dormi-émus We will sleep
dormie-bátis You (pl.) were sleeping dormi-étis You (pl.) will sleep
dormi-ébant They were sleeping dórmi-ent They will sleep

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Now try some sentences:

semper mittebámus epístulas vobis. We always used to send you letters.

quando fessus sum, dórmiam. When I’m tired, I’ll sleep.
manébas me prope flumen. You were waiting for me by the river.
quando te íterum aspíciam? When will I see you again?
véniunt, et álii vénient quoque. They’re coming, and others will come too.

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Part 3: Conjugations 1–4, Pluperfects and Future Perfects

The pluperfect is further back in the past than the perfect; your go-to translation word is ‘had’. The
future perfect imagines a completed action in the future: I will have made, etc. Both these tenses
use the perfect stem and have very regular sets of endings. While you will meet them, they are rare
enough to be considered bonus tenses here: be able to recognize them, but focus your attention
elsewhere.

Group 1

Pluperfect Future Perfect

cantáv-eram I had sung cantáv-ero I will have sung

cantáv-eras You had sung cantáv-eris You will have sung
cantáv-erat He, she, it had sung cantáv-erit He, she, it will have sung
cantav-erámus We had sung cantav-erímus Will will have sung
cantav-erátis You (pl.) had sung cantav-erítis You (pl.) will have sung
cantáv-erant They had sung cantáv-erint They will have sung

Group 2

Pluperfect Future Perfect

docú-eram I had taught docú-ero I will have taught

docú-eras You had taught docú-eris You will have taught
docú-erat He, she, it had taught docú-erit He, she, it will have taught
docu-erámus We had taught docu-erímus We will have taught
docu-erátis You (pl.) had taught docu-erítis You (pl.) will have taught
docú-erant They had taught docú-erint They will have taught

Group 3

Pluperfect Future Perfect

mís-eram I had sent mís-ero I will have sent

mís-eras You had sent mís-eris You will have sent
mís-erat He, she, it had sent mís-erit He, she, it, will have sent
mis-erámus We had sent mis-erímus We will have sent
mis-erátis You had sent mis-erítis You will have sent
mís-erant They had sent mís-erint They will have sent

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Group 4

Pluperfect Future Perfect

dormív-eram I had slept dormív-ero I will have slept

dormív-eras You had slept dormív-eris You had slept
dormív-erat He, she, it had slept dormív-erit He, she, it will have slept
dormiv-erámus We had slept dormiv-erímus We will have slept
dormiv-erátis You (pl.) has slept dormiv-erítis You will have slept
dormív-erant They slept dormív-erint They will have slept

Now try some sentences:

magna et pulchra creáverant. They had created many great and beautiful things.
mox duas horas saltávero. Soon I will have danced for two hours.
in mari frigido natáveras. You had swam in the cold sea.
cras dona míserit. Tomorrow she will have sent the presents.
audíveram omnem fábulam. I had heard the whole story.

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Part 4: Irregulars (sum and possum, eo and volo, fero and fio).

*an asterisk denotes a set of forms that are regular

(present) (perfect) (imperfect) (future) (pluperf.) (fut. perf.)

1. sum, esse, fui, futurum, ‘to be’

sum fui* eram ero fúeram* fúero*

es fuísti eras eris fúeras fúeris
est fuit erat erit fúerat fúerit
sumus fúimus erámus érimus fuerámus fuerímus
estis fuístis erátis éritis fuerátis fuerítis
sunt fuérunt erant erunt fúerant fúerint

2. possum, posse, potui, ‘to be able’ [often just a compound of pos/pot + forms of sum]

possum pótui* póteram pótero potúeram* potúero*

potes potuísti póteras póteris potúeras potúeris
potest pótuit póterat póterit potúerat potúerit
póssumus potúimus poterámus potérimus potuerámus potuerímus
potéstis potuístis poterátis potéritis potuerátis potuerítis
possunt potuérunt póterant póterint potúerant potúerint

3. eo, ire, ii, itum, ‘to go’

eo ii ibam ibo íeram íero

is isti ibas ibis íeras íeris
it iit ibat ibit íerat íerit
imus iimus ibámus íbimus ierámus iérimus
itis istis ibátis íbitis ierátis iéritis
eunt iérunt ibant ibunt íerant íerint

4. volo, velle, volui, ‘to wish’, ‘to want’ [cf. the verbs nolo ‘I do not want’ and malo ‘I prefer’]

volo vólui* volébam* volam* volúeram* volúero*

vis voluísti volébas voles volúeras volúeris
vult vóluit volébat volet volúerat volúerit
vólumus volúimus volebámus volémus voluerámus voluerímus
voluístis voluístis volebátis volétis voluerátis voluerítis
volunt voluérunt volébant volent volúerant volúerint

5. fero, ferre, tuli, latum, ‘to carry’ ‘to bear (physically or emotionally)’

fero tuli* ferébam* feram* túleram* túlero*

fers tulísti ferébas feres túleras túleris
fert tulit ferébat feret túlerat túlerit
férimus túlimus ferebámus ferémus tulerámus tulerímus
fertis tulístis ferebátis ferétis tulerátis tuléritis
ferunt tulérunt ferébant ferent túlerant túlerint

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6. fio, fieri, factus sum, ‘to become’, ‘to be made’, ‘to happen’

fio — fiébam* fiam* — —

fis — fiébas fies — —
fit — fiébat fiet — —
fimus — fiebámus fiémus — —
fitis — fiebátis fiétis — —
fiunt — fiébant fient — —

Now try some sentences:

quocúmque ibis, ibo quoque. Wherever you’ll go, I’ll go too.

illa fit dux pópuli eius. She is becoming a leader of her people.
potes me iuváre cum his cistis? Can you help me with these boxes?
fessi sumus post iter longum. We’re tired after a long journey.
vis nobiscum édere et bíbere? Do you want to eat and drink with us?

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Part 5: Impersonals

Latin has several verbs that you’ll meet only in the third person singular (and sometimes plural)
form(s). They include verbs to do with the weather, to do with feelings, and to do with circumstances
of right and wrong, proper and improper behaviour etc. You should aim to learn these on the go,
making a note of every new impersonal verb you meet, together with its particular construction.
Here are some to get you started.

pluit ‘it’s raining’

ningit ‘it’s snowing’

vesperáscit ‘it’s getting late’

placet ‘it pleases’ (who is pleased goes in the dative case: this is the main way to say you
like someone or something in Latin).

licet ‘it is permitted’ (who is permitted goes in the dative case)

necésse est ‘it is necessary’

míseret to feel pity (accusative of the one who pities; what they pity in the genitive).

páenitet to feel regret (constructed as míseret, above)

pudet to feel shame (constructed as míseret, above)

Now try some sentences:

licit nobis ambuláre in hoc horto. We are allowed to walk in this garden.
placent rosae mihi. I like roses.
míseret me illórum. I pity those men.
non me pudet tui. I am not ashamed of you.
necesse est ire et vidére. It’s necessary to go and see.

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Part 6. Passives 1: Present and Perfect

Here we’ll take four verbs and put them into the six tenses we’ve already met (present, perfect,
imperfect, future, pluperfect, future perfect), but this time in the passive voice. ‘I send’ becomes ‘I
am sent’, ‘They praised’ becomes ‘They were praised’ etc. Remember that not all verbs or parts of
verbs will go into the passive (there is no passive version of esse, for instance, and you won’t
normally need to say ‘I was walked’ or ‘she was sung’).

As with the active forms, we’ll begin with the present and perfect, and these are the two to focus on.
The present has a regular set of passive endings which will quickly become familiar, while the
perfect is a two-part (or ‘periphrastic’) tense. It will always have two parts: the first comes from the
fourth principal part, and the second from the verb ‘to be’. The first part needs to agree with the
subject: amatus est, amata est, amati sunt are the Latin for ‘he was loved’, ‘she was loved’ and ‘they
were loved’ respectively.

Once you’ve got a handle on the present and perfect – and depending on your goals – have a look
at the imperfect and future, and then the pluperfect and future perfect forms. These tenses are both
regular and less common than the present and perfect, so they should be straightforward.

Group 1

amári, ‘to be loved’ (from amáre ‘to love’)

Present Perfect

am-or I am loved amát-us or -a sum I was loved

amá-ris You are loved amát-us or -a es You were loved
amá-tur He, she, it is loved amát-us, -a, or -um est He, she, it was loved
amá-mur We are loved amát-i or -ae sumus We were loved
amá-mini You (pl.) are loved amát-i or -ae estis You (pl.) were loved
amá-ntur They are loved amát-i, -ae or -a sunt They were loved

Imperative (ordering) forms: amá-re be loved! (singular) amá-mini be loved! (pl.)

Group 2

vidéri, ‘to be seen’ ‘to seem’ (from vídeo ‘to see’). ‘Seem’ is the regular meaning of the passive.

Present Perfect

víde-or I seem vis-us or -a sum I seemed

vidé-ris You seem vis-us or -a es You seemed
vidé-tur He, she, it seems vis-us, -a, or -um est He, she, it seemed
vidé-mur We seem vis-i or -ae sumus We seemed
vidé-mini You (pl.) seem vis-i or -ae estis You (pl.) seemed
vidé-ntur They seem vis-i, -ae, or -a sunt They seemed

Imperative (ordering) forms: vidé-re seem! (singular) vidé-mini seem! (pl.)

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Group 3

tegi, ‘to be covered’ (from tego, ‘to cover’)

Present Perfect

teg-or I am covered tect-us or -a sum I was covered

tége-ris You are covered tect-us or -a es You were covered
tégi-tur He, she, it is covered tect-us, -a, or -um est He, she, it was covered
tégi-mur We are covered tect-i or -ae sumus We were covered
tegí-mini You (pl.) are covered tect-i or -ae estis You (pl.) were covered
tegú-ntur They are covered tect-i, -ae or -a sunt They were covered

Imperative (ordering) forms: tége-re be covered! (singular) tegé-mini be covered! (pl.)

Group 4

audíri ‘to be heard’ (from aúdio, ‘to hear’)

Present Perfect

aúdi-or I am heard audít-us or -a sum I was heard

audí-ris You are heard audít-us or -a es You were heard
audí-tur He, she, it is heard audít-us, -a, or -um est He, she, it was heard
audí-mur We are heard audít-i or -ae sumus We were heard
audí-mini You (pl.) are heard audít-i or -ae estis You (pl.) were loved
audiú-ntur They are heard audít-i, -ae, or -a sunt They were heard

Imperative (ordering) forms: audí-re be heard! (singular) audí-mini be heard! (pl.)

Now try some sentences:

illi ab ómnibus amántur. Those men are loved by everyone.

in somnis vídeor cúrrere. In my dreams I seem to be running.
solum flóribus tectum est. The ground was covered with flowers.
vox puéllae per urbem audíta est. The girl’s voice was heard throughout the city.
tristis vidéris hódie: quare? You seem sad today: why?

A note about deponent verbs

Deponent verbs are verbs which are passive in form, but active in meaning. As such, their forms
match onto the four passive verbs conjugated here. Once you know which group a deponent verb
belongs to, you’ll be able to know its forms by reverting to amor, vídeor, tegor or aúdior. Note that
the passive verb used here for group 2 – vídeor – commonly has the deponent meaning ‘seem’.

hortor, hortári, hortátus sum ‘I encourage’ goes like amári

fáteor, fatéri, fassus sum ‘I admit’ goes like vídeor
loquor, loqui, locútus sum ‘I talk’ goes like tegor
pártior, partíri, partus sum ‘I share’ goes like audíri

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Part 7. Passives 2: Imperfect, Future, Pluperfect, Future Perfect

Group 1

Imperfect Future

amá-bar I used to be loved amá-bor I will be loved

ama-báris You used to be loved amá-beris You will be loved
ama-bátur He, she, it used to be loved amá-bitur He, she, it will be loved
ama-bámur We used to be loved amá-bimur We will be loved
ama-bámini You (pl.) used to be loved ama-bímini You (pl.) will be loved
ama-bántur They used to be loved ama-búntur They will be loved

Pluperfect (‘had been’) Future Perfect (‘will have been’)

amát-us or -a eram I had been loved amát-us or -a ero I will have been loved
amát-us or -a eras You had been loved amát-us or -a eris You will have been loved
amát-us,-a, -um erat He etc.had been … amát-us, -a, -um erit He etc. will have been …
amát-i or -ae erámus We had been loved amát-i or -ae érimus We will have been loved
amát-i or -ae erátis You (pl) had been… amát-i or -ae éritis You (pl.) will have been …
amát-i, -ae, -a erant They had been loved amát-i, -ae, -a erunt They will have been loved

Group 2

Imperfect Future

vidé-bar I used to seem vidé-bor I will seem

vide-báris You used to seem vidé-beris You will seem
vide-bátur He, she, it used to seem vidé-bitur He, she, it will seem
vide-bámur We used to seem vidé-bimur We will seem
vide-bámini You (pl.) used to seem vide-bímini You (pl.) will seem
vide-bántur They used to seem vide-búntur They will seem

Pluperfect Future Perfect

vis-us or -a eram I had seemed vis-us or -a ero I will have seemed

vis-us or -a eras You had seemed vis-us or -a eris You will have seemed
vis-us, -a, -um erat He, she, it had seemed vis-us, -a, -um erat He etc. will have seemed
vis-i or -ae erámus We had seemed vis-i or -ae érimus We will have seemed
vis-i or -ae erátis You (pl.) had seemed vis-i or -ae éritis You (pl.) will have seemed
vis-i, -ae, -a erant They had seemed vis-i, -ae, -a erunt They will have seemed

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Group 3

Imperfect Future

tegé-bar I used to be covered teg-ar I will be covered

tege-báris You used to be covered teg-éris You will be covered
tege-bátur He, she, it used to be … teg-étur He, she, it will be covered
tege-bámur We used to be covered teg-émur We will be covered
tege-bámini You (pl.) used to be covered teg-émini You (pl.) will be covered
tege-bántur They used to be covered teg-éntur They will be covered

Pluperfect Future Perfect

tect-us or -a eram I had been … tect-us or -a ero I will have been …

tect-us or -a eras You had been … tect-us or -a eris You will have been …
tect-us, -a, um erat He, she, it had been … tect-us, -a, -um erat He etc. will have been ..
tect-i or -ae erámus We had been … tect-i or -ae érimus We will have been …
tect-i or -ae erátis You (pl.) had been … tect-i or -ae éritis You (pl.) will have been
tect-i, -ae, -a erant They had been … tect-i, -ae, -a erunt They will have been

Group 4

Imperfect Future

audié-bar I used to be heard aúdi-ar I will be heard

audie-báris You used to be heard audi-éris You will be heard
audie-bátur He etc. used to be … audi-étur He, she, it will be heard
audie-bámur We used to be heard audi-émur We will be heard
audie-bámini You (pl.) used to be … audi-émini You will be heard
audie-bántur They used to be heard audi-éntur They will be heard

Pluperfect Future Perfect

audít-us or -a eram I had been heard audít-us or -a ero I will have been heard
audít-us or -a eras You had been heard audít-us or -a eris You will have been heard
audít-us, -a, -um erat He, she, it … audít-us, -a, -um erat He, she, it …
audít-i or -ae erámus We had been heard audít-i or -ae érimus We will have been heard
audít-i or -ae erátis You (pl.) … audít-i or -ae éritis You (pl.) will have been …
audít-i, -ae, -a erant They had been … audít-i, -ae, -a erunt They will have been …

Now try some sentences:

clamor in via audítus erat. A shout had been heard in the street.
illae visae erant benignae. Those women had seemed kind.
templum novum valde amábitur The new temple will be greatly loved.
illo témpore, urbs nova creabátur. At that time a new city was being created.
quae dicta erant ante advéni? What things had been said before I arrived?

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Part 8: Conjugations 1–4, Subjunctives Active and Passive

Aids to recognition: remember that present subjunctives are a combination of stem + thematic
vowel(s) + ending, and that you can almost always find the present infinitive form within an
imperfect subjunctive (the exception is deponent verbs). The perfect and pluperfect active
subjunctives use the perfect stem; look for the characteristic double ‘s’ to identify the pluperfect
active. The perfect and pluperfect passives are two-part forms with esse in pres. or perf. subjunctive.

Group 1

Present Active Present Passive Imperfect Active Imperfect Passive

cante-m ame-r cantáre-m amáre-r

cante-s amé-ris cantáre-s amaré-ris
cante-t amé-tur cantáre-t amaré-tur
canté-mus amé-mur cantaré-mus amaré-mur
canté-tis amé-mini cantaré-tis amaré-mini
cante-nt amé-ntur cantáre-nt amaré-ntur

Perfect Active Perfect Passive Pluperfect Active Pluperfect Passive

cantáv-erim amát-us/a sim cantav-íssem amát-us/a essem

cantáv-eris amát-us/a sis cantav-ísses amát-us/a esses
cantáv-erit amát-us/a/um sit cantav-ísset amát-us/a/um esset
cantav-erímus amát-i/ae simus cantav-issémus amát-i/ae essémus
cantav-erítis amát-i/ae sitis cantav-issétis amát-i/ae essétis
cantáv-erint amát-i/ae/a sint cantav-íssent amát-i/ae/a essent

Group 2

Present Active Present Passive Imperfect Active Imperfect Passive

dócea-m vídea-r docére-m vidére-r

dócea-s videá-ris docére-s videré-ris
dócea-t videá-tur docére-t videré-tur
doceá-mus videá-mur doceré-mus videré-mur
doceá-tis videá-mini doceré-tis videré-mini
dócea-nt videá-ntur docére-nt videré-ntur

Perfect Active Perfect Passive Pluperfect Active Pluperfect Passive

docú-erim vis-us/a sim docu-íssem vis-us/a essem

docú-eris vis-us/a sis docu-ísses vis-us/a esses
docú-erit vis-us/a/um sit docu-ísset vis-us/a/um esset
docu-erímus vis-i/ae simus docu-issémus vis-i/ae essémus
docu-erítis vis-i/ae sitis docu-issétis vis-i/ae essétis
docú-erint vis-i/ae/a sint docu-íssent vis-i/ae/a essent

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Group 3

Present Active Present Passive Imperfect Active Imperfect Passive

mitta-m tega-r míttere-m tégere-r

mitta-s tegá-ris míttere-s tegeré-ris
mitta-t tegá-tur míttere-t tegeré-tur
mittá-mus tegá-mur mitteré-mus tegeré-mur
mittá-tis tegá-mini mitteré-tis tegeré-mini
mitta-nt tegá-ntur mittére-nt tegeré-ntur

Perfect Active Perfect Passive Pluperfect Active Pluperfect Passive

mís-erim tect-us/a sim mis-íssem tect-us/a essem

mís-eris tect-us/a sis mis-ísses tect-us/a esses
mís-erit tect-us/a/um sit mis-ísset tect-us/a/um esset
mis-erímus tect-i/ae simus mis-issémus tect-i/ae essémus
mis-erítis tect-i/ae sitis mis-issétis tect-i/ae essétis
mís-erint tect-i/ae/a sint mis-íssent tect-i/ae/a essent

Group 4

Present Active Present Passive Imperfect Active Imperfect Passive

dórmia-m aúdia-r dormíre-m audíre-r

dórmia-s audiá-ris dormíre-s audiré-ris
dórmia-t audiá-tur dormíre-t audiré-tur
dormiá-mus audiá-mur dormiré-mus audiré-mur
dormiá-tis audiá-mini dormiré-tis audiré-mini
dórmia-nt audiá-ntur dórmire-nt audiré-ntur

Perfect Active Perfect Passive Pluperfect Active Pluperfect Passive

dormív-erim audít-us/a sim dormiv-íssem audít-us/a essem

dormív-eris audít-us/a sis dormiv-ísses audít-us/a esses
dormív-erit audít-us/a/um sit dormiv-ísset audít-us/a/um esset
dormiv-erímus audít-i/ae simus dormiv-issémus audít-i/ae essémus
dormiv-erítis audít-i/ae sitis dormiv-issétis audít-i/ae essétis
dormív-erint audít-i/ae/a sint dormiv-íssent audít-i/ae/a essent

Now try some sentences:

cármina cantémus in hoc bello loco. Let’s sing songs in this nice place.
‘Quid vis?’ ‘ut aúdiar’. ‘What do you want?’ ‘That I be heard’
ámbulo ad óppidum ut epístulas mittam. I’m walking to the town to send letters.
cum verba eius audivissémus, rísimus. After we had heard her words, we laughed.
cum agri nive tecti essent, vénimus intro. When the fields had been covered with snow, we
came inside.

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Irregulars

*an asterisk denotes a regular set of forms

(present active) (imperfect active) (perfect active) (pluperfect active)

esse

sim esse-m* fú-erim* fu-íssem*

sis esse-s fú-eris fu-ísses
sit esse-t fú-erit fu-ísset
simus essé-mus fu-erímus fu-issémus
sitis essé-tis fu-erítis fu-issétis
sint esse-nt fú-erint fu-íssent

posse

possim posse-m* potú-erim* potu-íssem*

possis posse-s potú-eris potu-ísses
possit posse-t potú-erit potu-ísset
póssimus possé-mus potu-erímus potu-issémus
póssitis possé-tis potu-erítis potu-issétis
possint posse-nt potú-erint potu-íssent

velle

velim velle-m* volú-erim* volu-íssem*

velis velle-s volú-eris volu-ísses
velit velle-t volú-erit volu-ísset
velímus vellé-mus volu-erímus volu-issémus
velítis vellé-tis volu-erítis volu-issétis
velint velle-nt volú-erint volu-íssent

ire

eam ire-m* í-erim* issem*

eas ire-s í-eris isses
eat ire-t í-erit isset
eámus iré-mus i-erímus issémus
eátis iré-tis i-erítis issétis
eant ire-nt í-erint issent

Now try some sentences :

eámus foras ut stellas videámus. Let’s go outside to see the stars.

issem, si potuíssem ire. I would have gone, if I’d been able to go.
velim aliquid novi. I would like something new.
ah, nunc scio ubi sim. Ah, now I know where I am.
sint félices in illa terra nova. May they be happy in that new land.

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Part 9: Participles

(present active) (perfect passive) (future active) (gerundive)

Group 1

cantans, cantántis amát-us/a/um cantatúr-us/a/um amand-us/a/um

Group 2

docens, docéntis vis-us/a/um doctúr-us/a/um vidend-us/a/um

Group 3

mittens, mitténtis tect-us/a/um misúr-us/a/um tegend-us/a/um

Group 4

dormiens, dormiéntis audít-us/a/um dormitúr-us/a/um audiénd-us/a/um

Now try some sentences:

celériter natántes, ad oram vénimus. Swimming quickly, we came to the shore.

amo te ridéntem atque saltántem vidére. I love to see you laughing and dancing.
epístulis missis, ignem incendi. When the letters had been sent, I lit a fire.
cenatúrus, líberos in culínam vocávi. About to eat, I called the children into the kitchen.
‘omnia nobis temptanda sunt’, dixísti. ‘We have to try everything’, you said.

Part 10 : Quiz

Can you identify the following forms? You’ll find the answers on the next page.

1. saltémus 2. sarcirémus 3. habuérunt 4. mansíssem

5. cógita 6. iacebátis 7. natant 8. docti essent

9. vult 10. póssitis 11. es 12. irem

13. cucurrísti 14. dícimur 15. cúpiunt 16. amétur

17. scio 18. salírem 19. audiéntem 20. factum est

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Key

1. First person plural, present active subjunctive, from saltáre, to dance.

2. First person plural, imperfect active subjunctive, from sarcíre, to stitch.
3. Third person plural, perfect active indicative, from habére, to have.
4. First person singular, pluperfect active subjunctive, from manére, to stay.
5. Singular active imperative, from cogitáre, to think.
6. Second person plural, imperfect active indicative, from iacére, to lie down.
7. Third person plural, present active indicative, from natáre, to swim.
8. Third person plural, pluperfect passive subjunctive, from docére, to teach.
9. Third person singular, perfect active indicative, from velle, to want.
10. Second person plural, present active subjunctive, from posse, to be able.
11. Second person singular, present active indicative, from esse, to be.
12. First person singular, imperfect active subjunctive, from ire, to go.
13. Second person singular, perfect active indicative, from cúrrere, to run.
14. First person plural, present passive indicative, from dícere, to say.
15. Third person plural, present active indicative, from cúpere, to want.
16. Third person singular, present passive subjunctive, from amáre, to love.
17. First person singular, present active indicative, from scire, to know.
18. First person singular, imperfect active subjunctive, from salíre, to jump.
19. Present active participle, masculine or feminine accusative singular, from audíre, to hear.
20. Third person singular, perfect passive indicative neuter, from fácere, to make or do.

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