Conjugations[]
Before reading this article, please first read Conjugations so that you know how to identify the conjugation of a verb.
Forming active indicative verbs[]
Present Tense[]
The present tense translates "verbs," "is verbing" or "does verb." It is used for actions that are currently taking place.
1st person singular is simply the first principal part of the verb.
Other forms:
- Obtain the present stem of your verb. This can be done by removing the "-re" from its second principal part and the vowel before it.
- Add a base vowel:
- 1st conjugation: a
- 2nd conjugation: e
- 3rd conjugation: u before n, i before anything else
- 3rd IO: iu before n, i before anything else
- 4th: iu before n, i before anything else
- Then add the folowing endings:
| 1st person plural | -mus | ||
| 2nd person singular | -s | 2nd person plural | -tis |
| 3rd person singular | -t | 3rd person plural | -nt |
Imperfect Tense[]
The imperfect tense translates "was verbing" or "used to verb". It is used for repeated, ongoing, or habitual action in the past.
- Obtain the present stem of your verb. This can be done by removing the "-re" from its second principal part and the vowel before it.
- Add a base vowel:
- 1st conjugation: a
- 2nd conjugation: e
- 3rd conjugation: e
- 3rd IO: ie
- 4th: ie
- Then add the folowing endings:
| 1st person singular | -bam | 1st person plural | -bamus |
| 2nd person singular | -bas | 2nd person plural | -batis |
| 3rd person singular | -bat | 3rd person plural | -bant |
Future Tense[]
The future tense translates "will verb". It is used for action that will occur in the future.
1st and 2nd conjugations[]
- Obtain the present stem of your verb. This can be done by removing the "-re" from its second principal part and the vowel before it.
- Add a base vowel:
- 1st conjugation: a
- 2nd conjugation: e
- Then add the following endings:
| 1st person singular | -bo | 1st person plural | -bimus |
| 2nd person singular | -bis | 2nd person plural | -bitis |
| 3rd person singular | -bit | 3rd person plural | -bunt |
Exceptions:
- None.
3rd, 3rd IO, and 4th conjugations[]
- Obtain the present stem of your verb. This can be done by removing the "-re" from its second principal part and the vowel before it.
- Add a base vowel:
- 3rd conjugation: nothing
- 3rd IO: i
- 4th: i
- Then add the following endings:
| 1st person singular | -am | 1st person plural | -emus |
| 2nd person singular | -es | 2nd person plural | -etis |
| 3rd person singular | -et | 3rd person plural | -ent |
Perfect Tense[]
The perfect tense indicates one-time or completed action in the past. It translates "verbed", "did verb", or "has verbed".
- Obtain the perfect stem of your verb. This can be done by removing the "-i" from its third principal part.
- Add these endings to the stem:
| 1st person singular | -i | 1st person plural | -imus |
| 2nd person singular | -isti | 2nd person plural | -istis |
| 3rd person singular | -it | 3rd person plural | -erunt |
Pluperfect Tense[]
The pluperfect tense indicates action completed further in the past. It translates "had verbed".
- Obtain the perfect stem of your verb. This can be done by removing the "-i" from its third principal part.
- Add these endings to the stem:
| 1st person singular | -eram | 1st person plural | -eramus |
| 2nd person singular | -eras | 2nd person plural | -eratis |
| 3rd person singular | -erat | 3rd person plural | -erant |
Future Perfect Tense[]
The future perfect tense indicates action that will have been completed later. It translates "will have verbed".
- Obtain the perfect stem of your verb. This can be done by removing the "-i" from its third principal part.
- Add these endings to the stem:
| 1st person singular | -ero | 1st person plural | -erimus |
| 2nd person singular | -eris | 2nd person plural | -eritis |
| 3rd person singular | -erit | 3rd person plural |
-erint |
Forming passive indicative verbs[]
Present Tense[]
The present passive translates "is being verbed" or "is verbed".
- The 1st person singular form is just the first principal part plus the letter "r".
- For the other forms, obtain the present stem of the verb by removing the "-re" from the second principal part, and then add these endings:
| 1st person plural | -mur | ||
| 2nd person singular | -ris | 2nd person plural | -mini |
| 3rd person singular | -tur | 3rd person plural |
-ntur |
Exceptions:
- In the third conjugation, the "e" in the stem will change to a "u" in the 3rd person plural before the ending is added (e.g. they will be deceived = falluntur as opposed to fallentur) and an "i" before all other forms except for the second-person singular (e.g. it is being led = ducitur; you are being led = duceris)
- Third -IO works the same way except that there will be an "iu" in the 3rd person plural instead of a "u".
- The "i" of the fourth conjugation stem also changes to "iu" in this form.
Imperfect Tense[]
The imperfect passive tranlates "was being verbed" or "was verbed".
- Obtain the present stem. This can be done by removing the "-re" from the second principal part.
- Add the following endings:
| 1st person singular | -bar | 1st person plural | -bamur |
| 2nd person singular | -baris | 2nd person plural | -bamini |
| 3rd person singular | -batur | 3rd person plural |
-bantur |
Exceptions:
- In 3rd IO and 4th conjugations, the last vowel of the stem still changes to "ie" before the endings are added. (e.g. he was being shaken = quatiebat, not quatebat; it was filled = farciebat, not farcibat)
Future Tense[]
The future passive translates "will be verbed".
1st and 2nd conjugations[]
- Obtain the present stem by removing the "-re" from the second principal part.
- Add the following endings:
| 1st person singular | -bor | 1st person plural | -bimur |
| 2nd person singular | -beris^ | 2nd person plural | -bimini |
| 3rd person singular | -bitur | 3rd person plural |
-buntur |
^Notice how the "i" in "bis" changed to an "e" in "beris".
3rd, 3rd IO, and 4th conjugations[]
- Obtain the present stem by removing the "-re" from the second principal part.
- Thus, the future passive endings for 3rd, 3rd IO, and 4th conjugations are:
| 1st person singular | -ar | 1st person plural | -emur |
| 2nd person singular | -eris | 2nd person plural | -emini |
| 3rd person singular | -etur | 3rd person plural |
-entur |
Exceptions:
- The "e" comes off of the 3rd conjugation stem before the endings are added. (e.g. I will be led = ducar, not ducear).
- That "e" is replaced by an "i" for 3rd IO verbs (e.g. I will be caught = capiar, not capear)
Perfect, Pluperfect, and Future Perfect Tenses[]
Formation[]
- Take the fourth principal part of your verb. This is called the perfect passive participle.
- Decline the participle so that it agrees with your subject in gender and number.
- Add a form of the verb "sum, esse". Conjugate it so that it agrees with the person and number of your subject.
- For perfect tense, add a present form of "esse"
- For pluperfect tense, add an imperfect form of "esse"
- For future perfect tense, add a future form of "esse".
Translation[]
Perfect tense: "has been verbed" (or, more loosely, "was verbed")
Pluperfect tense: "had been verbed"
Future perfect tense: "will have been verbed"
Forming active subjunctive verbs[]
Note about translation[]
Subjunctive verbs translate differently depending on their use. See Uses of the subjunctive for more information on translation.
Note about tenses[]
There is no future or future perfect subjunctive.
Present Tense[]
- Obtain your present stem. This can be found by taking off the "-re" from the second principal part.
- Change the vowel on the end of your stem to:
- 1st conjugation: e
- 2nd conjugation: ea
- 3rd conjugation: a
- 3rd -IO conjugation: ia
- 4th conjugation: ia
- The mnemonic device "WE BEAT A LIAR" should help you remember this.
- After you have changed the vowel, add the personal endings:
| 1st person singular | -m | 1st person plural | -mus |
| 2nd person singular | -s | 2nd person plural | -tis |
| 3rd person singular | -t | 3rd person plural | -nt |
Imperfect Tense[]
- Take the whole second principal part.
- Add the personal endings:
| 1st person singular | -m | 1st person plural | -mus |
| 2nd person singular | -s | 2nd person plural | -tis |
| 3rd person singular | -t | 3rd person plural | -nt |
Perfect Tense[]
- Take the third principal part and remove the "i" to obtain the stem.
- Add the endings:
| 1st person singular | -erim | 1st person plural | -erimus |
| 2nd person singular | -eris | 2nd person plural | -eritis |
| 3rd person singular | -erit | 3rd person plural | -erint |
Pluperfect Tense[]
- Take the third principal part and remove the "i" to obtain the stem.
- Add the endings:
| 1st person singular | -issem | 1st person plural | -issemus |
| 2nd person singular | -isses | 2nd person plural | -issetis |
| 3rd person singular | -isset | 3rd person plural | -issent |
Forming passive subjunctive verbs[]
Note about translation[]
Subjunctive verbs translate differently depending on their use. See Uses of the subjunctive for more information on translation.
Note about tenses[]
There is no future or future perfect subjunctive.
Present and Imperfect Tenses[]
- Take the active subjunctive forms and replace the endings -m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, and -nt with:
| 1st person singular | -r | 1st person plural | -mur |
| 2nd person singular | -ris | 2nd person plural | -mini |
| 3rd person singular | -tur | 3rd person plural | -ntur |
Perfect and Pluperfect Tenses[]
- Take the fourth principal part of your verb. This is called the perfect passive participle.
- Decline the participle so that it agrees with your subject in gender and number.
- Add a form of the verb "sum, esse". Conjugate it so that it agrees with the person and number of your subject.
- For perfect tense, add a present subjunctive form of "esse"
- For pluperfect tense, add an imperfect subjunctive form of "esse"
Substitution method[]
Making an active verb passive[]
Replace the ending -o/-m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, and -nt with:
| 1st person singular | -or/-r^ | 1st person plural | -mur |
| 2nd person singular | -ris | 2nd person plural | -mini |
| 3rd person singular | -tur | 3rd person plural | -ntur |
^"o" becomes "or" and "m" becomes "r".
Exceptions:
- In the second-person singular present form of 3rd and 3rd IO conjugation verbs, "is" will become "eris" rather than "iris". (e.g. if you were to make ducis passive, it would be duceris, not duciris; if you made capis passive, it would become caperis, not capiris).
- In the second-person singular future form of 1st and 2nd conjugation verbs, "bis" will become "beris" rather than "biris". (e.g. if you were to make amabis passive, it would be amaberis, not amabiris).
Making passive verbs active[]
Just do the reverse of what you would do if you were making an active verb passive.
Exceptions:
- In the second-person singular present form of 3rd and 3rd IO conjugation verbs, "eris" will become "is" rather than "es". (e.g. if you were to make duceris active, it would be ducis, not duces; if you made caperis passive, it would become capis, not capes).
- In the second-person singular future form of 1st and 2nd conjugation verbs, "beris" will become "bis" rather than "bes". (e.g. if you were to make amaberis active, it would be amabis, not amabes).