Synopsis of Latin Infinitives and How to Produce Them

(Cf. Wheelock 25)

Remember: Latin infinitives occur in only three tenses (present, perfect, future) and two voices (active and passive), for a total of six infinitive forms.

How to Produce the Infinitive Forms in Latin

1. The present active infinitive (e.g. to love) and the present passive infinitive (to be loved) derive from the second principal part:

amô	amâre	amâvî	amâtus

Present Active Infinitive: Present Passive Infinitive:	amâre amârî

Note: Conjugations III and III-io drop the -er- in the passive infinitive present: dûcî / capî

2. The perfect active infinitive (to have loved) derives from the third, and the perfect passive infinitive (to have been loved) derives from the fourth principal part:

amô	amâre	amâvî	amâtus

Perfect Active / Passive Infinitive:		amâvisse	amâtus esse

3. The future active infinitive (to be about to love) and the future passive infinitive (to be about to be loved) derive from the fourth principal part:

amô	amâre	amâvî	amâtus

	Future Active Infinitive: Future Passive Infinitive:		amâtûrus esse amâtum îrî

Synopsis of Regular Infinitive Forms in Latin

Present active / passive	Perfect active / passive	Future active / passive
Use 2d principal part	Active: use 3d part; passive: 4th	Use 4th part
I: amâre / amârî to love / to be loved	amâvisse / amâtus esse to have loved / to have been loved	amâtûrus esse / amâtum îrî to be about to love / to be about to be loved
II: monêre / monêrî to warn / to be warned	monuisse / monitus esse to have warned / to have been warned	monitûrus esse / monitum îrî to be about to warn / to be about to be warned
III: dûcere / dûcî to lead / to be led	dûxisse / ductus esse to have led / to have been led	ductûrus esse / ductum îrî to be about to lead / to be about to be led
III-io: capere / capî to take / to be taken	cêpisse / captus esse to have taken / to have been taken	captûrus esse / captum îrî to be about to take / to be about to be taken
IV: audîre / audîrî to hear / to be heard	audîvisse / audîtus esse to have heard / to have been heard	audîtûrus esse / audîtum îrî to be about to hear / to be about to be heard

Go to the practice.

For the use of these forms, see the page on Accusative-with-Infinitive Constructions.

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