A Latin verb usually has a tripartite structure. The first part is the base or root. It carries the meaning or idea of the word:
vid- = see curr- = run iuv- = help
The third part is the personal ending. It tells you WHO or WHAT is being highlighted as performing or receiving or governing the action implied by the verb; that is, the personal ending indicates the subject of the clause:
You see. They run. We are being helped.
The Latin personal endings are taken from one of only three sets of six possibilities (three persons in singular and three in plural). These endings give you the person and the voice.
Personal Endings: |
Active |
Passive / Deponent |
Perfect Indicative Active |
These endings usually mean: |
|
|
|
|
|
1st sg. |
-m / -ô |
-r |
-î |
I |
2d sg. |
-s |
-ris (= -re) |
-istî |
you (sg.) |
3d sg. |
-t |
-tur |
-it |
he/ she/ it |
|
|
|
|
|
1st pl. |
-mus |
-mur |
-imus |
we |
2d pl. |
-tis |
-minî |
-istis |
you (pl.) |
3d pl. |
-nt |
-ntur |
-êrunt (= -êre) |
they |
Whereas the active and passive / deponent personal endings are used in many different tenses, and in both indicative and subjunctive moods, the perfect indicative active endings do not occur elsewhere in the table of verb-forms. Therefore, perfect indicative active endings attached to the stem of the third part of the verb (the perfect stem) give you a sure clue to recognizing the form.
But usually the tense and mood clues are embedded in the middle part of the verb. Learn how to register these clues automatically by becoming aware of the letter or letters that immediately precede the personal ending.
-A- / -Â- |
present subjunctive for II, III, III-io, IV |
moneâtis, ponâtur, capiant, audiam |
present indicative for I |
laudant, precâminî, stat, fatur, amâtis |
|
future indicative, 1st singular for III, III-io, IV |
pônam, dûcam, capiar, audiam, legar |
|
|
||
-E- / -Ê- |
present subjunctive for I |
amem, adôrêmus, stet, dês, hortêmur |
present indicative for II |
monet, tenêmur, continent, fatêminî |
|
future indicative for III, III-io, IV |
dûcêmus, capient, audiêris, sequêris |
|
pres ind passive / deponent 2d sg for III, III-io |
caperis, dûceris, sequeris, loqueris |
|
|
||
-I- / -Î- |
present indicative for III, III-io, IV |
premitur, capit, audîris, sequimur, dûcis |
|
||
-U- / -ÎU- |
present indicative 3d pl for III, III-io, IV |
regunt, nesciunt, loquuntur, veniunt |
|
||
-B- / -BI- / -BE- / -BU- |
future indicative for I, II |
laudâbô, conâberis, amâbuntur, dêbêbit, monêbitur |
|
||
-BA- / -BÂ- |
imperfect indicative for all conjugations |
clamâbam, timêbat, regêbâmus, iungêbâmur, agêbam, monêbantur |
|
||
-ERA- / -ERÂ- |
pluperfect indicative active for all conjugations |
amâverâmus, didicerâtis, polîverant |
|
||
-ER- / -ERI- / -ERÎ- |
future perfect indicative active [-erô in 1st sg.] |
cantâverô, cênâverimus, dixêrint, monueris |
perfect subjunctive active [-erim in 1st sg.; î in 2d sg, 1st and 2d plural] |
amaverim, responderîs, incêperîmus |
|
|
||
-ÂRE- / -ÊRE- / -ERE- / -ÎRE- |
imperfect subjunctive |
ôrârêmus, dûcerentur, audîret, tenerêtur, caperêmur, sequerêtur, hortârêtur, servîrêminî |
|
||
-ISSE- |
pluperfect subjunctive active |
mansissêmus, timuissent, amâvissês, cecinissêtis |
When verbs have two parts, the past participle (ppl.) and a part taken from the verb to be (esse), they are usually PERFECT and PASSIVE / DEPONENT. (Other two-part forms are future infinitives like actûrus esse, monitum îrî.)
(PAST PPL.)+ |
perfect indicative passive / deponent |
amâtî sunt, locûta est, mentîtî sumus |
(PAST PPL.)+ |
pluperfect indicative passive / deponent |
ductus eram, recitâtum erat, secûtae erâtis |
(PAST PPL.)+ |
future perfect indicative passive / deponent |
inventî erint, amâta eris, superâtus erô |
(PAST PPL.)+ |
perfect subjunctive passive / deponent |
laudâtus sit, dêsîderâta sint, hortâtî sîmus |
(PAST PPL.)+ |
pluperfect subjunctive passive / deponent |
sublâta essent, victus essem, ingressus esset |
Other verbal forms also have easily noticeable clues, but they often use case-endings instead of the personal ones:
-TUS / -SUS |
perfect participle [endings change with case, 1/2 declension] |
amâta, mansô, dictîs, laudâtârum |
-NS / -NT- |
present participle [endings change with case, 3d declension] |
currêns, audientis, venientibus |
-ND- |
gerundive (future passive participle) or gerund [endings change with case, 1/2 declension] |
dêlenda, agenda, mittendî |
-ÛR- |
future active participle [endings change with case, 1/2 declension] |
moritûrî, vîsûrus, mixtûrôrum |
This account of verb forms has not included the imperatives, which are treated elsewhere. Practice your mastery of this material by doing the exercises given on the various verb-review pages in the LatinPraxis or the Verbal Brilliance sections of this website.
Latin Teaching Materials at Saint Louis University: © Claude Pavur 1997 - 2009. This material is being made freely available for non-commercial educational use.
