How to Conjugate Passive Latin Verbs

Regular Latin verbs fall into four conjugations. Verbs in all four conjugations have six tenses, two aspects, six persons, and three moods. Most regular non-deponent Latin verbs have both an active and a passive voice. All four conjugations follow similar rules for passive formation using the appropriate internal thematic vowels.

Instructions

First Conjugation Indicative Passive

Use "amo" as the paradigm for first conjugation. Note that first person singular does not follow the standard formula and must be memorized. Form the present passive indicative by combining the root "ama" and the passive endings: "amor;" "ama-" + "ris;" "ama-" + "-tur"; "ama-" + "+mur;" "ama-" + "-mini;" "ama-" + "-ntur."

Use the passive endings plus the root to form imperfect indicative passive but with "amabar" for the first person singular, and as in the active, "ba" inserted between the stem "ama" and the endings.

For future, use "amabor" for first person singular, "amaberis" for second singular, and then construct as imperfect with "bi" between stem and ending.

Form the perfect passive participle by combining the stem "ama-" with the ending "tus" to form amatus. Combine the perfect passive participle with the appropriate form of "esse" for the perfect passive indicative. Note that perfect passive participles agree with their subjects in gender, number and case. Thus "Amatus est Caesar;" "amata est Julia" and "amati est reges."

Use the present of "esse" to form the perfect passive indicative, the past of "esse" to form the pluperfect passive indicative and the future of "esse" to form the future passive indicative. Thus "amatus sum;" "amatus eram;" and "amatus ero."

Passive Subjunctive

Conjugate present passive subjunctive by substituting "e" for the second vowel of the present passive indicative: "amer," "ameris," "ametur," etc.

Form the imperfect passive subjunctive from the infinitive "amare" plus passive endings; thus, "amarer," "amareris," "amaretur," etc.

Form the perfect passive subjective from the perfect passive participle and the present subjunctive of "esse." Pluperfect passive subjunctive uses the past subjunctive of "esse."

Also, Read The Advantages of Knowing a Foreign Language

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