Latin Verbs: Master the Passive Forms in the Primary Tenses

Primary Tenses, Indicative Mood, All Conjugations (Cf. Wheelock 18, 21)

General rule: Form the passive voice of the primary tenses (present, imperfect, future) in just two steps:

STEP 1: Think of the primary tense in its active form (e.g., amâT, amâMUS, amâbÔ).

STEP 2: Add -R to the first person singular forms in -Ô, and for the other active personal endings substitute the passive personal endings (e.g., amâTUR, amaMUR, amâboR).

See these rules exemplified in all conjugations: Present Imperfect Future

Explain the passive personal endings. / See the perfect tenses in active and passive voices.

PRESENT INDICATIVE

	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Active Personal Endings >>>	-m/-o, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt	-r, -ris, -tur, -mur, -minî, -ntur	Passive Personal Endings <<<
I love you love he / she / it loves we love you (pl.) love they love	amô amâs amat amâmus amâtis amant	amor amâris* amâtur amâmur amâminî amantur	I am loved you are loved he / she / it is loved we are loved you (pl.) are loved they are loved
I remind you remind he / she / it reminds we remind you (pl.) remind they remind	moneô monês monet monêmus monêtis monent	moneor monêris* monêtur monêmur monêminî monentur	I am reminded you are reminded he / she / it is reminded we are reminded you (pl.) are reminded they are reminded
I lead you lead he / she / it leads we lead you (pl.) lead they lead	dûcô dûcis dûcit dûcimus dûcitis dûcunt	dûcor dûceris* dûcitur dûcimur dûciminî dûcuntur	I am led you are led he / she / it is led we are led you (pl.) are led they are led
I take you take he / she / it takes we take you (pl.) take they take	capiô capis capit capimus capitis capiunt	capior caperis* capitur capimur capiminî capiuntur	I am taken you are taken he / she / it is taken we are taken you (pl.) are taken they are taken
I hear you hear he / she / it hears we hear you (pl.) hear they hear	audiô audîs audit audîmus audîtis audiunt	audior audîris* audîtur audîmur audîminî audiuntur	I am heard you are heard he / she / it is heard we are heard you (pl.) are heard they are heard

Present Imperfect Future

* Note:

1. An alternate form for -ris is -re:

amâre (you are being loved), monêre (you are being warned), etc.

2. An -i- followed by -ris or -re changes to -e:

dûceris /-re = you are being led

amâberis /-re = you will be loved.

3. The long -ê- usually indicates the future in Conjugations 3, 3-io, and 4. Notice especially these forms:

dû-ceris (you are being led)    /    dû-cê-ris (you will be led)
ca-peris (you are being taken)   /   capi-ê-ris (you will be taken)
au-dî-ris (you are being heard)   /   audi-ê-ris (you will be heard)

Present Imperfect Future

IMPERFECT INDICATIVE

	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Active Personal Endings >>>	-m/-o, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt	-r, -ris, -tur, -mur, -minî, -ntur	Passive Personal Endings <<<
I used to love you used to love he / she / it used to love we used to love you (pl.) used to love they used to love	amâbam amâbâs amâbat amâbâmus amâbâtis amâbant	amâbar amâbâris* amâbâtur amâbâmur amâbâminî amâbantur	I used to be loved you used to be loved he / she / it used to be loved we used to be loved you (pl.) used to be loved they used to be loved
I used to remind you used to remind he / she / it used to remind we used to remind you (pl.) used to remind they used to remind	monêbam monêbâs monêbat monêbâmus monêbâtis monêbant	monêbar monêbâris* monêbâtur monêbâmur monêbâminî monêbantur	I used to be reminded you used to be reminded he / she / it used to be reminded we used to be reminded you (pl.) used to be reminded they used to be reminded
I used to lead you used to lead he / she / it used to lead we used to lead you (pl.) used to lead they used to lead	dûcêbam dûcêbâs dûcêbat dûcêbâmus dûcêbâtis dûcêbant	dûcêbar dûcêbâris* dûcêbâtur dûcêbâmur dûcêbâminî dûcêbantur	I used to be led you used to be led he / she / it used to be led we used to be led you (pl.) used to be led they used to be led
I used to take you used to take he / she / it used to take we used to take you (pl.) used to take they used to take	capiêbam capiêbâs capiêbat capiêbâmus capiêbâtis capiêbant	capiêbar capiêbâris* capiêbâtur capiêbâmur capiêbâminî capiêbantur	I used to be taken you used to be taken he / she / it used to be taken we used to be taken you (pl.) used to be taken they used to be taken
I used to hear you used to hear he / she / it used to hear we used to hear you (pl.) used to hear they used to hear	audiêbam audiêbâs audiêbat audiêbâmus audiêbâtis audiêbant	audiêbar audiêbâris* audiêbâtur audiêbâmur audiêbâminî audiêbantur	I used to be heard you used to be heard he / she / it used to be heard we used to be heard you (pl.) used to be heard they used to be heard

Present Imperfect Future

FUTURE INDICATIVE

	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Active Personal Endings >>>	-m/-o, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt	-r, -ris, -tur, -mur, -minî, -ntur	Passive Personal Endings <<<
I will love you will love he / she / it will love we will love you (pl.) will love they will love	amâbô amâbis amâbit amâbimus amâbitis amâbunt	amâbor amâberis* amâbitur amâbimur amâbiminî amâbuntur	I will be loved you will be loved he / she / it will be loved we will be loved you (pl.) will be loved they will be loved
I will remind you will remind he / she / it will remind we will remind you (pl.) will remind they will remind	monêbô monêbis monêbit monêbimus monêbitis monêbunt	monêbor monêberis* monêbitur monêbimur monêbiminî monêbuntur	I will be reminded you will be reminded he / she / it will be reminded we will be reminded you (pl.) will be reminded they will be reminded
I will lead you will lead he / she / it will lead we will lead you (pl.) will lead they will lead	dûcam dûcês dûcet dûcêmus dûcêtis dûcent	dûcar dûcêris* dûcêtur dûcêmur dûcêminî dûcentur	I will be led you will be led he / she / it will be led we will be led you (pl.) will be led they will be led
I will take you will take he / she / it will take we will take you (pl.) will take they will take	capiam capiês capiet capiêmus capiêtis capient	capiar capiêris* capiêtur capiêmur capiêminî capientur	I will be taken you will be taken he / she / it will be taken we will be taken you (pl.) will be taken they will be taken
I will hear you will hear he / she / it will hear we will hear you (pl.) will hear they will hear	audiam audiês audiet audiêmus audiêtis audient	audiar audiêris* audiêtur audiêmur audiêminî audientur	I will be heard you will be heard he / she / it will be heard we will be heard you (pl.) will be heard they will be heard

Present Imperfect Future

See the perfect tenses.

Recommended for the "deep-processing" of the language

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