Latin Verbs: Form the Perfect Tenses, Active Voice

Cf. Wheelock 12

Follow two easy steps to form a typical Latin perfect tense in the active voice:

1. Remove the -î from the third principal part.

2. Add the appropriate ending.

REMEMBER:

1. The sign of the Present Perfect Active is the one of special perfect personal endings:

-î, -istî, -it, -imus, istis, -êrunt.

2. The sign of the Past Perfect Active is -ERA- right before the regular personal ending (-m/-o, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt).

3. The sign of the Future Perfect Active is usually -ERI- right before the regular personal ending (-m/-o, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt). The first person singular ending is -ERÔ.

Step 1: Remove the -î from the end of the third principal part of the verb.

Four Principal Parts		Perfect Active Stem

amô, amâre, amâvî, amâtum		amâv-
moneô, monêre, monuî, monitum		monu-
discô, discere, didicî, --		didic-

Step 2: Attach the appropriate ending.

Present Perfect ("I have...")		Past Perfect ("I had...")		Future Perfect ("I will have...")
-î -istî -it	-imus -istis -êrunt	-eram -erâs -erat	-erâmus -erâtis -erant	-erô -eris -erit	-erimus -eritis -erint

Examples of Present Perfect Forms


amâvî amâvistî amâvit amâvimus amâvistis amâvêrunt	=	I have loved You (sg.) have loved He/ she/ it has loved We have loved You (pl.) have loved They have loved

monuî monuistî monuit monuimus monuistis monuêrunt	=	I have warned You (sg.) have warned He/ she/ it has warned We have warned You (pl.) have warned They have warned

didicî didicistî didicit didicimus didicistis didicêrunt	=	I have learned You (sg.) have learned He/ she/ it has learned We have learned You (pl.) have learned They have learned

Examples of Past Perfect Forms

amâveram amâverâs amâverat amâverâmus amâverâtis amâvêrant	=	I had loved You (sg.) had loved He/ she/ it had loved We had loved You (pl.) had loved They had loved

monueram monuerâs monuerat monuerâmus monuerâtis monuerant	=	I had warned You (sg.) had warned He/ she/ it had warned We had warned You (pl.) had warned They had warned

didiceram didicerâs didicerat didicerâmus didicerâtis didicerant	=	I had learned You (sg.) had learned He/ she/ it had learned We had learned You (pl.) had learned They had learned

Examples of Future Perfect Forms


amâverô amâveris amâverit amâverimus amâveristis amâverint	=	I will have loved You (sg.) will have loved He/ she/ it will have loved We will have loved You (pl.) will have loved They will have loved

monuerô monueris monuerit monuerimus monueritis monuerint	=	I will have warned You (sg.) will have warned He/ she/ it will have warned We will have warned You (pl.) have warned They will have warned

didicerô didiceris didicerit didicerimus didiceritis didicerint	=	I will have learned You (sg.) will have learned He/ she/ it will have learned We will have learned You (pl.) will have learned They will have learned

The Regular Present Perfect Active Endings

Only in the present perfect active forms ( = "I have..." ; "you have...," etc.) do we find this special set of personal endings. They are always attached only to the base coming from the third principal part of the verb (for example, amâv- / monu- / dûx- / cêp- / audîv- ).

For the ordinary present perfect tense (active voice) if a verb ends in:	The subject must be:
-î	I
-istî	you
-it	he / she / it
-imus	we
-istis	you (pl.)
-êrunt	they

Compare the passive personal endings.

Compare the regular active personal endings.

Latin Teaching Materials at Saint Louis University: © Claude Pavur 1997 - 2009. This material is being made freely available for non-commercial educational use.

Latin Verbs: Form the Perfect Tenses, Active Voice

Cf. Wheelock 12

REMEMBER:

Step 1: Remove the -î from the end of the third principal part of the verb.

Step 2: Attach the appropriate ending.

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

=

-î

I

-istî

you

-it

he / she / it

-imus

we

-istis

you (pl.)

-êrunt

they