Latin verbs can often take passive personal endings that parallel the active ones.
In the passive voice, the subject is the receiver of the action of the verb. English often uses some part of the verb to be as part of the whole verb to indicate that the verb is in the passive voice:
- The tower has been constructed.
- The children were taken to the picnic.
- We will be saved.
For the simple present, imperfect, and future tenses, the typical Latin passive endings for the first person are -r for the singular and -mur for the plural.
amor = I am (being) loved
amâbar = I was (being) loved
moneor = I am (being) reminded
monêbor = I will be reminded
monêmur = We are (being) reminded
amâmur = We are (being) loved
The typical Latin passive endings for the second person are -ris (sometimes -re) for the singular and -minî for the plural.
amâris / amâre = you are (being) loved
monêris / monêre = you are (being) reminded
amâminî = you (plural) are (being) loved
monêminî = you (plural) are (being) reminded
The typical Latin passive endings for the third person are -tur for the singular and -ntur for the plural.
amâtur = he / she / it is (being) loved
monêtur = he / she / it is (being) reminded
amantur = they are (being) loved
monentur = they are (being) reminded
Therefore, if a verb ends in: |
The subject must be: |
-r |
I |
-ris /-re |
you |
-tur |
he / she / it |
-mur |
we |
-minî |
you (pl.) |
-ntur |
they |
For the simple tenses in the first two conjugations, the forms will follow the patterns below. Note that where you might expect -bi- in the future passive 2d singular form, the spelling changes to -be-.
PRESENT | Singular | Plural |
1st |
amor, |
amâmur, |
2d |
amâris /-re, |
amâminî, |
3d |
amâtur, |
amantur, |
IMPERFECT | Singular | Plural |
1st |
amâbar, |
amâbâmur, |
2d |
amâbâris /-re, |
amâbâminî, |
3d |
amâbâtur, |
amâbantur, |
FUTURE | Singular | Plural |
1st |
amâbor, |
amâbimur, |
2d |
amâberis /-re, |
amâbiminî, |
3d |
amâbitur, |
amâbuntur, |
Latin Teaching Materials at Saint Louis University: © Claude Pavur 1997 - 2006. This material is being made freely available for non-commercial educational use.
