Passive Personal Verb-Endings

Conjugations I-II

Cf. Wheelock 18

LatinPraxis Index

Many Latin verbs can 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

Show me the general rule for putting verbs into the passive voice.

Top.

Therefore, if a verb ends in:

The subject must be:

-r

-ris /-re

you

-tur

he / she / it

-mur

we

-minî

you (pl.)

-ntur

they

Compare the active personal endings.

Compare the regular active perfect endings.

The rules about embedded subjects also apply here.

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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,

moneor

amâmur,

monêmur

2d

amâris /-re,

monêris /-re

amâminî,

monêminî

3d

amâtur,

monêtur

amantur,

monentur

IMPERFECT

Singular

Plural

1st

amâbar,

monêbar

amâbâmur,

monêbâmur
2d

amâbâris /-re,

monêbâris /-re

amâbâminî,

monêbâminî

3d

amâbâtur,

monêbâtur

amâbantur,

monêbantur

FUTURE

Singular

Plural

1st

amâbor,

monêbor

amâbimur,

monêbimur

2d

amâberis /-re,

monêberis /-re

amâbiminî,

monêbiminî

3d

amâbitur,

monêbitur
amâbuntur,

monêbuntur

Go to a full chart of all passives in primary tenses with translations.

Go to the practice.

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Latin Teaching Materials at Saint Louis University: © Claude Pavur 1997 - 2009. This material is being
made freely available for non-commercial educational use.