Conjugation is the creation of derived forms of a verb from one basic form. It may be affected by person, number, gender, tense, mood, voice or other language-specific factors. When, for example, we use a verb to function as the action done by a subject, most languages require conjugating the verb to reflect that meaning. (For more information on conjugation in general, see the article on grammatical conjugation.)

In Latin, there are four main patterns of conjugation composed of groups of verbs that are conjugated following similar patterns. Like in other languages, Latin verbs have a passive voice and an active voice. (Naturally, only transitive verbs may be conjugated in the passive.) Furthermore, there exist deponent and semi-deponent Latin verbs (verbs with a passive form but active meaning).

In a dictionary, Latin verbs are always listed with four principal parts which allow the reader to deduce the other conjugated forms of the verbs. These are:

• the first person singular of the present indicative
• the present infinitive
• the first person singular of the perfect indicative
• the supine or perfect passive participle

Contents

1 Latin tenses and moods 2 Deponent and semi-deponent verbs 3 Principal parts for the active voice 4 Conjugation tables 4.1 First Conjugation 4.2 Second Conjugation 4.3 Third Conjugation (normal or e stem) 4.4 Third Conjugation (special or i stem) 4.5 Fourth Conjugation 4.6 Irregular Verbs 5 Syncopated Forms 6 See also

Latin tenses and moods

Latin has the following tenses and moods:

active voice
indicative present imperfect future perfect pluperfect (past perfect) future perfect	subjunctive present imperfect perfect future perfect	infinitive present perfect future	imperative present future	participle present future	gerundive	supine (perfect passive participle)

passive voice
indicative present imperfect future perfect pluperfect future perfect	subjunctive present imperfect perfect future perfect	infinitive present perfect future	imperative present	participle perfect	verbal adjective

Deponent and semi-deponent verbs

Deponent verbs are verbs that are passive in form (that is, conjugated as though in the passive voice) but active in meaning. These verbs have only three principal parts since the present indicative in the passive voice is formed from the same radical as the supine.

Deponent verbs use active conjugations for tenses that do not exist in the passive: the gerundive, the supine, the present and future participles and the future infinitive.

Verbal adjectives of deponent verbs are passive in meaning.

Principal parts for the active voice

The first conjugation is characterized by the vowel a and can be recognized by the -āre ending of the present infinitive.

• The principal parts of a first-conjugation verb follows the pattern: amō, amāre, amāvī, amātum (to love)

The second conjugation is characterized by the vowel e and can be recognized by the -eō ending of the first person present indicative and the -ēre ending of the present infinitive.

• The principal parts of a second-conjugation verb follows the pattern: dēleō, dēlēre, dēlēvī, dēlētum (to destroy)

The third conjugation consists of two sub-forms sometimes referred to as the third normal (or e stem) and third special (or i stem) forms. In the normal form the first person present indicative ends in -ō. In the special or i stem form, the first person indicative ends in -iō. In both cases the present infinitive ends in -ere.

• The principal parts of a normal third-conjugation verb follows the pattern: legō, legere, lēgī, lēctum (to read)
• The principal parts of a special third-conjugation verb follows the pattern: capiō, capere, cēpī, captum (to capture)

The fourth conjugation is characterized by the vowel i and can be recognized by the -īre ending of the present infinitive.

• The principal parts of a fourth-conjugation verb follows the pattern: audiō, audīre, audīvī, audītum (to hear)

There are also some verbs that are irregular and do not fall into one of the four categories. Some examples include:

• sum, esse, fuī, -- (to be) and its compound forms
• eō, īre, iī (ivī), itum (to go) and its compound forms
• volō, velle, voluī, -- (to want)
• nōlō, nōlle, nōluī, -- (to not want)
• mālō, mālle, māluī, -- (to prefer)
• ferō, ferre, tulī, lātum (to carry or wear)

Some verbs that fall under one of the four categories may follow its method of conjugation but not necessarily have the same progression of principal parts. This is especially true in the third conjugation, where there is no general pattern for the third and fourth principal parts of the verb. For example, the verb occīdō, occīdere, occīdī, occīsum (to kill) is third conjugation but has principal parts that are different from that of legō.

Conjugation tables

For the most part, the four principal parts of a verb are sufficient information to form all other conjugations of the verb. The tables below show the conjugations of verbs in all four declensions and several irregular verbs.

First Conjugation

	ACTIVE VOICE
	Indicative Mood						Subjunctive Mood
	Present	Imperfect	Future	Perfect	Pluperfect	Future perfect	Present	Imperfect	Perfect	Pluperfect
1st person sg.	amō	amābam	amābō	amāvī	amāveram	amāverō	amem	amārem	amāverim	amāvissem
2nd person sg.	amās	amābās	amābis	amāvistī	amāverās	amāveris	amēs	amārēs	amāveris	amāvissēs
3rd person sg.	amat	amābat	amābit	amāvit	amāverat	amāverit	amet	amāret	amāverit	amāvisset
1st person pl.	amāmus	amābāmus	amābimus	amāvimus	amāverāmus	amāverimus	amēmus	amārēmus	amāverimus	amāvissēmus
2nd person pl.	amātis	amābātis	amābitis	amāvistis	amāverātis	amāveritis	amētis	amārētis	amāveritis	amāvissētis
3rd person pl.	amant	amābant	amābunt	amāvērunt	amāverant	amāverint	ament	amārent	amāverint	amāvissent
	Imperative		Infinitive			Participle			Gerundive	Supine
	Present	Future	Present	Perfect	Future	Present	Future
2nd person sg.	amā	amātō	amāre	amāvisse	amātūrus esse	amāns	amātūrus	Accusative	amandum	amātum
3rd person sg.		amātō						Ablative	amandō	amātū
2nd person pl.	amāte	amātōte						Dative	amandō
3rd person pl.		amantō						Genitive	amandī

 

	PASSIVE VOICE
	Indicative Mood						Subjunctive Mood
	Present	Imperfect	Future	Perfect	Pluperfect	Future perfect	Present	Imperfect	Perfect	Pluperfect
1st person sg.	amōr	amābar	amābōr	amātus (-ā,-um) sum	amātus   (-ā,-um) eram	amātus (-ā,-um) erō	amēr	amārer	amātus (-ā,-um) sim	amātus   (-ā,-um) essem
2nd person sg	amāris	amābāris	amāberis	amātus (-ā,-um) es	amātus   (-ā,-um) erās	amātus (-ā,-um) eris	amēris	amārēris	amātus (-ā,-um) sīs	amātus   (-ā,-um) essēs
3rd person sg.	amātur	amābātur	amābitur	amātus (-ā,-um) est	amātus   (-ā,-um) erat	amātus (-ā,-um) erit	amētur	amāretur	amātus (-ā,-um) sit	amātus   (-ā,-um) esset
1st person pl.	amāmur	amābāmur	amābimur	amātī   (-ae,-ā) sumus	amātī      (-ae,-ā) erāmus	amātī   (-ae,-ā)erimus	amēmur	amārēmur	amātī   (-ae,-ā) sīmus	amātī      (-ae,-ā) essēmus
2nd person pl.	amāmini	amābāmini	amābimini	amātī   (-ae,-ā) estis	amātī      (-ae,-ā) erātis	amātī   (-ae,-ā) eritis	amēmini	amārēmini	amātī   (-ae,-ā) sītis	amātī      (-ae,-ā) esstis
3rd person pl.	amantur	amābantur	amābuntur	amātī   (-ae,-ā) sunt	amātī      (-ae,-ā) erant	amātī   (-ae,-ā) erunt	amentur	amārentur	amātī   (-ae,-ā) sint	amātī      (-ae,-ā) essent
	Imperative		Infinitive			Participle
	Present	Future	Present	Perfect	Future	Perfect	Future
2nd person sg.	amare		amārī	amātus esse		amātus (-ā,-um)	amandus
3rd person sg.
2nd person pl.	amamini
3rd person pl.

Second Conjugation

	ACTIVE VOICE
	Indicative Mood						Subjunctive Mood
	Present	Imperfect	Future	Perfect	Pluperfect	Future perfect	Present	Imperfect	Perfect	Pluperfect
1st person sg.	moveō	movēbam	movēbo	mōvi	mōveram	mōverō	moveam	movērem	mōverim	mōvissem
2nd person sg.	movēs	movēbās	movēbis	mōvisti	mōverām	mōveris	moveās	movēres	mōveris	mōvissēs
3rd person sg.	movet	movēbat	movēbit	mōvit	mōverat	mōverit	moveat	movēret	mōverit	mōvisset
1st person pl.	movēmus	movēbāmus	movēbimus	mōvimus	mōverāmus	mōverimus	moveāmus	movēremus	mōverimus	mōvissēmus
2nd person pl.	movētis	movēbatis	movēbitis	mōvistis	mōverātis	mōveritis	moveātis	movēretis	mōveritis	mōvissētis
3rd person pl.	movent	movēbant	movēbunt	mōverunt	mōverant	mōverint	moveant	movērent	mōverint	mōvissent
	Imperative		Infinitive			Participle			Gerundive	Supine
	Present	Future	Present	Perfect	Future	Present	Future
2nd person sg.	movē		movēre	mōvisse	moturus esse	movēns, (-tis)	moturus	Accusative	movendum	motum
3rd person sg.								Ablative	movendō	motu
2nd person pl.	movēte							Dative	movendō
3rd person pl.								Genitive	movendi

	PASSIVE VOICE
	Indicative Mood						Subjunctive Mood
	Present	Imperfect	Future	Perfect	Pluperfect	Future perfect	Present	Imperfect	Perfect	Pluperfect
1st person sg.	moveor	movēbar	movēbōr	mōtus (-ā,-um) sum	mōtus (-ā,-um) eram	mōtus (-ā,-um) erō	movear	movērer	mōtus (-ā,-um) sim	mōtus (-ā,-um) essem
2nd person sg.	movēris	movēbāris	movēberis	mōtus (-ā,-um) es	mōtus (-ā,-um) erās	mōtus (-ā,-um) eris	moveāris	movērēris	mōtus (-ā,-um) sīs	mōtus (-ā,-um) essēs
3rd person sg.	movētur	movēbātur	movēbitur	mōtus (-ā,-um) est	mōtus (-ā,-um) erat	mōtus (-ā,-um) erit	moveātur	movērētur	mōtus (-ā,-um) sit	mōtus (-ā,-um) esset
1st person pl.	movēmur	movēbāmur	movēbimur	mōtī (-ae,-ā) sumus	mōtī (-ae,-ā) erāmus	mōtī (-ae,-ā) erimus	moveāmini	movērēmur	mōtī (-ae,-ā) sīmus	mōtī (-ae,-ā) essēmus
2nd person pl.	movēmini	movēbāmini	movēbimini	mōtī (-ae,-ā) estis	mōtī (-ae,-ā) erātis	mōtī (-ae,-ā) eritis	moveāmur	movērēmini	mōtī (-ae,-ā) sītis	mōtī (-ae,-ā) esstis
3rd person pl.	movēntur	movēbantur	movēbuntur	mōtī (-ae,-ā) sunt	amōtī (-ae,-ā) erant	mōtī (-ae,-ā) erunt	moveantur	movērentur	mōtī (-ae,-ā) sint	mōtī (-ae,-ā) essent
	Imperative		Infinitive			Participle
	Present	Future	Present	Perfect	Future	Perfect	Future
2nd person sg.			movērī	mōtus (-ā,-um) esse		mōtus (-ā,-um)	movendus
3rd person sg.
2nd person pl.
3rd person pl.

Third Conjugation (normal or e stem)

Third Conjugation (special or i stem)

Fourth Conjugation

Irregular Verbs

Syncopated Forms

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Indicative present
First conjugation -a (amare, to love) Singular 1st amo 2nd amas 3rd amat Plural 1st amamus 2nd amatis 3rd amant		Second conjugation -e (habere, to have or hold) Singular 1st habeo 2nd habes 3rd habet Plural 1st habemus 2nd habetis 3rd habent
Third conjugation -e regere (to rule) Singular 1st rego 2nd reges 3rd reget Plural 1st regemus 2nd regetis 3rd regent	Third conjugation -i- stem -i (capere, to capture) Singular 1st capio 2nd capis 3rd capit Plural 1st capimus 2nd capitis 3rd capiunt	Fourth conjugation -i (audire, to hear) Singular 1st audio 2nd audis 3rd audit Plural 1st audimus 2nd auditis 3rd audiunt

Notice in all forms the endings are similar, 'o' or 'm' endings mean I. 's' means 'you' (in the pronouns 'suus' means 'his'; do not get confused) and the 't' endings mean he/she/it.

So:

Singular

1. -o/m = I, eg. sum or verbo
2. -s = You, eg. es or amas
3. -t = He, eg est or amat

Plural (note the simularities with the singular)

1. -mus
2. -atis
3. -nt

Elements of conjugation survive in English, however it is watered down. 'am' (I am) retains the nasal 'mmm' sound inherited from its ancestors (note: me). 'is' is remarkably similar to the Latin 'est'.

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See also

• Latin declension