Download Subjunctive Formation

Subjunctive Formation
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive is a mood of the verb. The subjunctive mood expresses a wish, a
hope, or an uncertainty toward a fact or an idea.
Cras Caesar
Augustus veniat.
Tomorrow Caesar
Augustus may come.
Nos Caesarem
Augustum
salutemus.
Let's greet Caesar
Augustus.
Notice in the sentences above the speaker is expressing a wish, a hope, an
uncertainty; not a real action. The sentences express a possibility--a vague
situation.
The subjunctive mood is frequently used in Latin. It is important to learn to
recognize subjunctive verbs and uses.
In the subjunctive mood there are 4 tenses in the active and passive voice:
present, imperfect, perfect, and past perfect.
How to form the subjunctive
Present Tense
The mnemonic device "Let's eat caviar" will help you to remember how to form the
present subjunctive. Regular indicative verbs are recognized by their vowels: 1st
conjugation - a (-are), 2nd conjugation -e (-ēre), 3rd conjugation -e (-ere) and 4th
conjugation -i (-ire). To form the present subjunctive, we will switch these vowels
to new ones. The vowels within the mnemonic device will help you remember how
to change the vowels. Consider:
Active Forms
Let's
Eat
Ca
viar
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
conjugation conjugation conjugation conjugation
e
ea
a
ia
portare
docēre
scribere
munire
portem
doceam
scribam
muniam
portes
doceas
scribas
munias
portet
doceat
scribat
muniat
portemus
doceamus
scribamus
muniamus
portetis
doceatis
scribatis
muniatis
portent
doceant
scribant
muniant
Passive Forms
Let's
Eat
Ca
viar
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
conjugation conjugation conjugation conjugation
e
ea
a
ia
portare
docēre
scribere
munire
porteor
docear
scribar
muniar
porteris
docearis
scribaris
muniaris
portetur
doceatur
scribatur
muniatur
portemur
doceamur
scribamur
muniamur
portemini
doceamini
scribamini
muniamini
portentur
doceantur
scribantur
muniantur
Imperfect Tense
The imperfect subjunctive is formed using the present active infinitive or second
principal part plus the active and passive endings. Consider:
Active Forms
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
conjugation conjugation conjugation conjugation
portare
docēre
scribere
munire
portarem
docerem
scriberem
munirem
portares
doceres
scriberes
munires
portaret
doceret
scriberet
muniret
portaremus
doceremus
scriberemus
muniremus
portaretis
doceretis
scriberetis
muniretis
portarent
docerent
scriberent
munirent
Passive Forms
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
conjugation conjugation conjugation conjugation
portare
docēre
scribere
munire
portarer
docerer
scriberer
munirer
portareris
docereris
scribereris
munireris
portaretur
doceretur
scriberetur
muniretur
portaremur
doceremur
scriberemur
muniremur
portaremini
doceremini
scriberemini
muniremini
portarentur
docerentur
scriberentur
munirentur
Perfect Tense
The perfect subjunctive is formed using the third principal part for active voice and
the fourth principal part for passive voice. Consider:
Active forms- third principal part minus -I plus -eri
plus the active endings
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
conjugation conjugation conjugation conjugation
portavi
docui
scripsi
munivi
portaverim
docuerim
scripserim
muniverim
portaveris
docueris
scripseris
muniveris
portaverit
docuerit
scripserit
muniverit
portaverimus docuerimus
scripserimus
muniverimus
portaveritis
docueritis
scripseritis
muniveritis
portaverint
docuerint
scripserint
muniverint
Passive forms- fourth principal plus the present
subjunctive of esse
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
conjugation conjugation conjugation conjugation
Portatus, a,
um
Doctus, a,
um
Scriptus, a,
um
Munitus, a,
um
Portatus, a,
um sim
Doctus, a,
um sim
Scriptus, a,
um sim
Munitus, a,
um sim
Portatus, a,
um sis
Doctus, a,
um sis
Scriptus, a,
um sis
Munitus, a,
um sis
Portatus, a,
um sit
Doctus, a,
um sit
Scriptus, a,
um sit
Munitus, a,
um sit
Portati, ae, a Docti, ae, a
simus
simus
Scripti, ae, a
simus
Muniti, ae, a
simus
Portati, ae, a Docti, ae, a
sitis
sitis
Scripti, ae, a
sitis
Muniti, ae, a
sitis
Portati, ae, a Docti, ae, a
sint
sint
Scripti, ae, a
sint
Muniti, ae, a
sint
Pluperfect or Past Perfect Tense
The pluperfect or past perfect subjunctive is formed using the third principal part
for active voice and the fourth principal part for passive voice. Consider:
Active forms- third principal part minus -I plus -isse
plus the active endings
1st
conjugation
2nd
3rd
conjugation conjugation
4th
conjugation
Portavi
Docui
Scripsi
munivi
portavissem
docuissem
scripsissem
munivissem
portavisses
docuisses
scripsisses
munivisses
portavisset
docuisset
scripsisset
munivisset
portavissemus docuissemus
scripsissemus munivissemus
portavissetis
docuissetis
scripsissetis
munivissetis
portavissent
docuissent
scripsissent
munivissent
Passive forms- fourth principal plus esse plus the
active endings
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
conjugation conjugation conjugation conjugation
Portatus, a,
um
Doctus, a,
um
Scriptus, a,
um
Munitus, a,
um
Portatus, a
,um essem
Doctus, a,
um ssem
Scriptus, a,
um essem
Munitus, a,
um essem
Portatus, a
,um esses
Doctus, a,
um esses
Scriptus, a,
um esses
Munitus, a,
um esses
Portatus, a
,um esset
Doctus, a,
um esset
Scriptus, a,
um esset
Munitus, a,
um esset
Portati, ae, a Docti, ae, a
essemus
essemus
Scripti, ae, a
essemus
Muniti, ae, a
essemus
Portati, ae, a Docti, ae, a
essetis
essetis
Scripti, ae, a
essetis
Muniti, ae, a
essetis
Portati, ae, a Docti, ae, a
essent
essent
Scripti, ae, a
essent
Muniti, ae, a
essent
Conjugation of esse in the subjunctive
Present Tense
Imperfect Tense
sum, esse, fui, futurus,
a, um
sum, esse, fui, futurus,
a, um
sim
essem
sis
esses
sit
esset
simus
essemus
sitis
essetis
sint
essent
Translation - Active Voice
Present tense = may + the verb's simple meaning
e. g. may do
Imperfect tense = might + the verb's simple meaning
Perfect tense = may have + the verb's past meaning
e. g. might do
e. g. may have done
Past Perfect tense = might have + the verb's past meaning
e. g. might have done
Translation - Passive Voice
Present tense = may be + the verb's simple meaning
Example: may be done
Imperfect tense = might be + the verb's simple meaning
Example: might be done
Perfect tense = may have been + the verb's past meaning
Example: may have been done
Past Perfect tense = might have been + the verb's past meaning
Example: might have been done
N. B. The subjunctive mood verb is generally translated like an indicative mood
verb or infinitive in English.