Verbs - Present System
Verbs are arguably the most important word in a sentence. Verbs express actions or states of being. In Latin, a verb can make up an entire one-word sentence. To get started, there are concepts (such as "verbal person") with which you must be accustomed.
1. The Singular of the Present Tense
Verbs are arguably the most important word in a sentence. Verbs express actions or states of being. In Latin, a verb can make up an entire one-word sentence. To get started, there are concepts (such as "verbal person") with which you must be accustomed.
1. The Singular of the Present Tense
- 0:43 - introduction to the concept of Verbal Person
There is also a video on Plural verb endings here, but it assumes that you are already familiar with Latin noun endings. You may wish to come back to this video at a later date.
Now it should be easier to follow a full verb conjugation chart. We will begin only using 1st conjugation and 2nd conjugation verbs, but all four are introduced in the video below. Return to this video when the other conjugations are covered in following chapters.
2. The Present Tense
2. The Present Tense
- 0:54 - 1st Conjugation
- 3:15 - 2nd Conjugation
- 3:37 - 3rd Conjugation
- 4:21 - 4th Conjugation
- 4:52 - Recap & Reminders
It is very common in Latin for Subject Pronouns ("I", "you", "he/she/it", etc.) not to be used (unless necessary for clarity or emphasis). Instead, the verb's personal ending contains all the information you generally need in order to know who/what the subject is.
3. The Subjectless Verb
3. The Subjectless Verb
When you look up a Latin verb in a dictionary or on a vocabulary list, you will typically see four forms of that word. These forms are called Principal Parts, and must be memorized carefully from the beginning. While you will not use all four parts initially, you will save yourself much time and frustration down the line if you learn full entries early. All principal parts are required in order to earn full credit on vocabulary quizzes.
4. Principal Parts
4. Principal Parts
- 2:33 - nota bene: The Past Participle (4th principal part) can either end in -us or -um, with no difference in meaning. It is equally common to find both forms in dictionaries or word lists. I typically use -um, but both are correct and will count.
- 3:28 - Recap of the difference between verbs of the 4 conjugations
- 5:35 - Principal Parts of English Verbs
- cf. LNM, Book I, Ch. 2, Language Facts I (p. 18) and IV (pp. 22-23)
5. Introduction to the Latin Infinitive
- 0:25 - The Basics & definition of what an infinitive is
- 1:16 - where to find the Present Active infinitive
- 2:12 - digression on pronunciation
- 2:52 - stem vowel and conjugation number
- 3:40 - finding the Present Stem and conjugating
- 4:28 - Infinitive Use as a noun (4:34 - Subjective Infinitive; 5:00 - Objective Infinitive; 5:29 - Complementary Infinitive) Don't worry about this right now
- 5:57 - summary
6. Imperatives (Commands)
- 0:41 - Present stem used as Singular Imperative
- 1:23 - Plural Imperative
- 1:55 - translation of the Imperative
- 4:05 - Irregulars: dīc, dūc, fac, fer
- 4:26 - Negative commands
- 4:54 - Person and Tense of Imperatives
- 5:30 - Imperatives used with Vocatives
7. A Theory of Tenses
- Continual vs. Completed Aspect
- Present System vs. Perfect System
- 2:51 - Simple Aspect (English and Latin)
8. Imperfect Tense
- cf. LNM, Book I, Ch. 11, Language Fact I (pp. 180-182)
- 3:49 - imperfect tense of sum, esse (cf. LNM, Book I, Ch. 11, Language Fact II, pp. 184-185)
9. Future Tense
- 0:37 - review of Principal Parts, Present System vs. Perfect System
- 1:18 - 1st & 2nd Conjugations (cf. LNM, Book I, Ch. 14, Language Fact I, pp. 236-237)
- 3:29 - 3rd & 4th Conjugations (cf. LNM, Book I, Ch. 15, Language Fact I, pp. 248-250)
- 4:50 - 3rd conjugation future vs. 2nd conjugation present
- 5:49 - future of sum, esse (cf. LNM, Book I, Ch. 14, Language Fact II, pp. 239-240)
10. Passive Voice in English
- 3:15 - Why use the passive?
- 4:37 - Should you use the passive?
11. Passive Voice in Latin
- cf. LNM, Book I, Ch. 5, Language Fact I (pp. 72-73)
- Active (nominative-verb-accusative) vs. Passive (nominative-passive verb-ablative) constructions in Latin
- Ablative of Personal Agent (LNM, Book I, Ch. 5, Language Fact III, p. 76) vs. Ablative of Means
- 4:03 - Present System Passive and Perfect System Passive compared (Latin II & Latin III only)
12. The Present Passive
- 1:31 - basic formation rules
- 1:55 - 1st conjugation
- 2:46 - 2nd conjugation
- 3:04 - 3rd conjugation
- 3:26 - 4th conjugation
- 3:54 - Ablative of Personal Agent vs. Ablative of Means
13. Imperfect Passive
- cf. LNM, Book I, Ch. 11, Language Fact I (pp. 180-182)
14. Future Passive
- cf. LNM, Book I, Ch. 14, Language Fact I (pp. 236-237)
- cf. LNM, Book I, Ch. 15, Language Fact I (pp. 248-250)