| Verbs |
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Latin verbs have spelling changes that reflect the subject and the conjugation or family to which a verb belongs. By knowing the infinitive or 2nd principal part of a verb, one knows the conjugation to which a verb belongs. This is important when working with the Present System of any verb.
1st conjugation - 1st principal part ends in '-o', infinitive ends with -âre
2nd conjugation - 1st principal part ends in '-eo', infinitive ends in -êre
3rd conjugation - 1st principal part ends in '-o' or '-io', infinitive ends in -ere (notice the lack of macron on the first 'e')
4th conjugation - 1st principal part ends in '-io', infinitive ends in -îre
*The Present System refers to the present, imperfect and future tenses.
*The Perfect System refers to the perfect, pluperfect or future perfect tenses.
The First Conjugation-
-(determined from the 2nd principal part)
vocô, vocâre, vocâvî, vocâtus = 'to call'
| PRESENT TENSE: | IMPERFECT TENSE: | FUTURE TENSE: | |||
| Active: | Passive: | Active: | Passive: | Active: | Passive: |
| vocô | or | vocâbam | bar | vocâbô | bor |
| vocâs | ris | vocâbâs | bâris | vocâbis | beris |
| vocat | tur | vocâbat | bâtur | vocâbit | bitur |
| vocâmus | mur | vocâbâmus | bâmur | vocâbimus | bimur |
| vocâtis | mini | vocâbâtis | bâtur | vocâbitis | bimini |
| vocant | ntur | vocâbant | bantur | vocâbunt | buntur |
-(determined from the 2nd principal part)
dêleo, dêlêre, dêlêvî, dêlêtus = 'to destroy'
| PRESENT TENSE: | IMPERFECT TENSE: | FUTURE TENSE: | |||
| Active: | Passive: | Active: | Passive: | Active: | Passive: |
| dêleô | or | dêlêbam | bar | dêlêbo | bor |
| dêlês | ris | dêlêbâs | bâris | dêlêbis | beris |
| dêlet | tur | dêlêbat | bâtur | dêlêbit | bitur |
| dêlêmus | mur | dêlêbâmus | bâmur | dêlêbimus | bimur |
| dêlêtis | mini | dêlêbâtis | bâtur | dêlêbitis | bimini |
| delent | ntur | dêlêbant | bantur | dêlêbunt | buntur |
-(determined from the 2nd principal part)
arcessô, arcessere, arcessîvî, arcessus = 'to summon, send for'
| PRESENT TENSE: | IMPERFECT TENSE: | FUTURE TENSE: | |||
| Active: | Passive: | Active: | Passive: | Active: | Passive: |
| arcesso | or | arcessêbam | bar | arcessam | ar |
| arcessis | eris | arcessêbâs | bâris | arcesses | eris |
| arcessit | itur | arcessbat | bâtur | arcesset | etur |
| arcessimus | imur | arcessêbâmus | bâmur | arcessemus | emur |
| arcessitis | imini | arcessêbâtis | bâtur | arcessetis | emini |
| arcessunt | intur | arcessebant | bantur | arcessent | entur |
-(determined from the 2nd principal part)
---(not a separate conjugation, but a variation)
cupiô, cupere, cupîvî, cupîtus = 'to desire, want'
| PRESENT TENSE: | IMPERFECT TENSE: | FUTURE TENSE: | |||
| Active: | Passive: | Active: | Passive: | Active: | Passive: |
| cupio | or | cupiebam | bar | cupiam | ar |
| cupis | eris | cupiebâs | bâris | cupies | eris |
| cupit | itur | cupiebat | bâtur | cupiet | etur |
| cupimus | imur | cupiebamus | bâmur | cupiemus | emur |
| cupitis | imini | cupiebatis | bâtur | cupietis | emini |
| cupiunt | untur | cupiebant | bantur | cupient | entur |
-(determined from the 2nd principal part)
aperiô, aperîre, aperuî, apertus = 'to open'
| PRESENT TENSE: | IMPERFECT TENSE: | FUTURE TENSE: | |||
| Active: | Passive: | Active: | Passive: | Active: | Passive: |
| aperiô | or | aperiêbam | bar | aperiam | ar |
| aperîs | eris | aperiêbâs | bâris | aperies | eris |
| aperit | itur | aperiêbat | bâtur | aperit | etur |
| aperîmus | imur | aperiêbâmus | bâmur | aperiemus | emur |
| aperîtis | imini | aperiêbâtis | bâtur | aperietis | emini |
| aperiunt | untur | aperiêbant | bantur | aperient | entur |
The Perfect System is formed from the 3rd and 4th principal parts of verbs.
For an insight into forming the Perfect, Pluperfect and Future Perfect Tenses, go to The Perfect System and Perfect Tense Explanation.
For a review of terminology, go to Verbs in General and also to Irregular Verbs.
J.Jahnige, May 2004
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