The Participle
1. Definition
A participle is a verbal adjective.
2. Formation
The present active participle is derived from the present tense stem. It is declined as a
third declension i-stem adjective.
The perfect passive participle is the fourth principal part. It is declined as a first/second
declension adjective.
The future active participle is also formed from the fourth principal part. It is declined as
a first/second declension adjective.
present
p a s s i v e
preparing
parans, -ntis
monens, -ntis
mittens, -ntis
audiens, -ntis
capiens, -ntis
having been prepared
paratus, -a, -um
monitus, -a, -um
missus, -a, -um
audītus, -a, -um
captus, -a, -um
perfect
future
p a r t i c i p l e
a c t i v e
about to prepare
paratūrus, -a, -um
monitūrus, -a, -um
missūrus, -a, -um
auditūrus, -a, -um
captūrus, -a, -um
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Note 1. A deponent verb has an active (!) present participle with active meaning, and a
passive perfect participle with active meaning, e.g.,
deponent verb
present active participle
loquor, loqui, locutus sum, 3 dep.
loquens
speaking
hortor, hortārī, hortātus sum, 1 dep.
hortans
encouraging
confiteor, -ērī, -fessus sum, 2 dep.
confitens
confessing
perfect passive participle
locūtus
hortātus
confessus
having spoken
having encouraged
having confessed
Note 2. A few deponent and semi-deponent verbs have perfect participles with present
tense meanings:
(semi-)deponent verb
perfect passive participle:
present meaning
reor, rērī, 2 dep.
ratus
considering
arbitror, arbitrāri, 1 dep.
arbitrātus
thinking
vereor, verērī, 2 dep.
veritus
fearing
fidō, -ere, 3 semi-dep.
fīsus
trusting
audeō, -ēre, 2 semi-dep.
ausus
daring
sequor, sequī, 3 dep.
secūtus
following
3. Voice of the Participle
A participle shows voice:

if active, the participle shows that the agreeing (pro)noun or proper name is performing
or is about to perform the action contained in that participle; the present participle and
the future participle are active:
spectatores ridentes
laughing spectators
(the spectators are performing the action laughing, the action in the participle)
venit leaena depositura sitim
a lioness comes, about to quench her thirst
(the lioness is about to perform the action quenching, the action in the participle)

if passive, the participle shows that the action contained in that participle has been
performed on that (pro)noun or proper name; the perfect participle is passive:
pecunia inventa
money (having been) found
(some [unnamed] person[s] has performed the finding, the action in the participle; the
money is that on which the action of finding has been performed)
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4. Relative Tense of the Participle
A participle shows relative tense, i.e., tense in relation to the main verb:

present participle: the action happens during the action of the main verb:
ille audit te dulce loquentem, dulce ridentem
that man is listening to you while you are sweetly talking, sweetly laughing

perfect participle: the action happens before the action of the main verb:
poeta Catullus mihi donavit suum libellum novum pumice modo expolitum
the poet Catullus gave me his little new book, polished recently with pumice

future participle: the action happens after the action of the main verb:
mox profecturus in Galliam, Caesar amicos visere cupivit
about to depart for Gaul, Caesar wished to visit his friends
5. Adjectival and Verbal Characteristics
1. As a verbal adjective, a participle exhibits characteristics of an adjective:
A participle modifies a (pro)noun, agreeing in case, number, and gender.
(Sometimes a participle is used independently, i.e., as a substantive.)
Thisbe amplectitur corpus amatum
Thisbe embraces the beloved corpse
(part. amatum and noun corpus both acc. s. n.)
radix tingit pendentia mora
the root stains the hanging berries
(part. pendentia and noun mora both acc. pl. n.)
2. As a verbal adjective, a participle also exhibits characteristics of a verb:
A participle has voice and tense (see table above), may take a direct and/or
indirect object, and can itself be modified by an adverb or adverbial phrase.
leaena venit depositura sitim
a lioness approaches, about to quench her thirst
(part. depositura has a direct object sitim)
oscula non pervenientia contra dederunt they gave kisses, not going through to the
other side
(part. pervenientia is modified by the adverbs non and contra)
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6. Attributive Use of the Participle
When a participle is used merely as an adjective, it is used attributively (also called
adjectivally); this use is relatively rare:
radix tingit pendentia mora
the root stains the hanging berries
liberatus erat falso nomine
he had been liberated by means of a false name
(part. falso is strictly used as an adjective meaning ‘false’, not meaning ‘having been
deceived’)
multos annos cives fuerant parati
the citizens had been ready for many years
(part. parati is used as an adjective meaning ‘ready’, not as part of an impossible
predicate fuerant parati)
7. Predicative Use of the Participle
When a participle takes a direct or indirect object or is modified by an adverb or adverbial
phrase, or in other words, when a participle’s verbal characteristics are emphasized, it is
used predicatively.
The participle together with its object(s) and its adverb(s) or adverbial phrase(s) is called a
participial phrase. It is not always possible to determine with certainty how a participle is
used; however, most participles are used predicatively.
leaena venit depositura sitim (part. depositura has a direct object sitim)
a lioness approaches, about to quench her thirst
oscula non pervenientia ccntra dederunt (part. pervenientia is modified by the adverbs
non and contra)
they gave kisses, not going through to the other side
8. Adverbial Force (‘Special Flavor’) of the Predicative Participle
A predicative participle has adverbial force, i.e., it shows time, cause, concession, or
condition, to name only the most important. That adverbial force can generally be
determined by careful analysis of the context. Some examples:

circumstantial or temporal:
volventes cadavera amicum reperiebant
while rolling over the corpses, they found
a friend
electus consul, statim amicis maximas gratias egit
after he had been elected consul, he immediately thanked his friends profusely
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
causal:
pati non iam cupiens, patrem veniam rogavit
because he didn’t want to suffer any more, he asked his father for forgiveness

concessive:
salutem insperantibus* reddidisti (* part. used as subst.)
you have restored safety to [people] even though they weren’t hoping
oculos iam morte gravatos Pyramus erexit
Pyramus opened his eyes, even though they had already been weighed down by death

conditional:
damnatum* poenam sequi oportebat (* part. used as subst.)
punishment must follow [him] if condemned
Note 3. The future participle (except futūrus and ventūrus) is rarely used in simple
agreement with a noun. It is chiefly used with the forms of esse (often omitted in the
infinitive) in the active periphrastic conjugation, e.g., paratūrus sum I am about to prepare.
Note 4. A noun and a passive participle are sometimes so united that the participle and not
the noun contains the main idea:
ante conditam urbem
post nātōs hominēs
ab urbe conditā
before the founding of the city
since the creation of man
from the founding of the city
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Formal Analysis of a Participial Phrase
If you find a participial phrase, copy the entire clause into the table, and type ‘PP’
in the box to the left of the clause; then:
1.
underline the participle and the (pron)noun/proper name it modifies;
2.
in the box labeled analysis, type tense and voice of the participle, its case,
number and gender, and also the relative tense of the participle (does the
action of the participle happen before, during or after the main verb?);
3.
in the box labeled minimal translation, translate only the (pron)noun/proper
name and the participle, as literally as possible;
4.
in the box labeled full translation, translate the entire clause in good English,
expressing the ‘flavor’ of the participle (circumstantial, causal, conditional, or
concessive)
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1
clause
analysis
minimal translation
full translation
2
clause
analysis
minimal translation
full translation
3
clause
analysis
minimal translation
full translation
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Ablative Absolute
Definition
An ablative absolute is a special type of participial phrase, consisting of a (pro)noun in the
ablative with a participle in agreement.
Guidelines for Translation
Step 1: Provisional Translation; Step 2: Polished Translation
Translate, as literally as possible, first the (pro)noun, then the partciple, paying close
attention to voice and tense (and possible deponent status of the verb):
ablative absolute
his dictis
1. provisional translation; 2. polished translation
1. these things having been said
2. after these things are, were, have been, had been said; with these words; after
(s)he says, said, has said, had said these things, etc.
coniuratione relata
1. the conspiracy having been reported
2. after the conspiracy is, was, has been, had been reported; after the reporting of
the conspiracy
militibus sequentibus
1. the soldiers following
2. while the soldiers follow, are following, followed, were following; with soldiers in
his/her/their following
illo mortuo
1. that man having died
2. after that man dies, died, has died, had died; after the death of that man
senatu deliberante
1. the senate deliberating
2. as, because, while the senate deliberates, is deliberating, deliberated, was
deliberating; during the deliberations of the senate
Note 1. An ablative absolute is grammatically unconnected to the sentence, hence its name
absolute (absolutus, free, unconnected).
Note 2. An predicative adjective or a second noun may be part of the ablative absolute, the
non-existing participle of esse being understood.
exigua parte aestatis reliqua (Note the predicative adjective reliqua and the absence of *ente)
when a small part of the summer was left; a small part of the summer remaining
L. Domitio Ap. Claudio consulibus (Note the absence of *entibus and et; regular way of indicating the year)
in the consulship of Lucius Domitius and Appius Claudius; Lucius Domitius and Appius Claudius being consuls
Adverbial Force (‘Special Flavor’) of the Ablative Absolute
Like a participial phrase, an ablative absolute has adverbial force, i.e., it shows time, cause,
concession, or condition, to name only the most important. That adverbial force can
generally be determined by analysis of the context. Some examples:
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
circumstantial or temporal:
pecunia subrepta filius non iam cuiquam confidere ausus est (perfect participle: rel. tense ‘before’)
his money having been stolen (after his money had been stolen) the son no longer dared to trust anyone
senatu deliberante Saguntum periit (present participle: rel. tense ‘during’)
while the senate was deliberating, Saguntum perished

causal:
pecunia subrepta filius non iam cuiquam confidere ausus est (perfect participle: rel. tense ‘before’)
his money having been stolen (after his money had been stolen) the son no longer dared to trust anyone
Troiā tandem victā, Aeneas novam patriam petere constituit.
Because Troy had finally been defeated, Aeneas decided to seek a new fatherland

concessive:
multis repugnantibus, (tamen) vir scelestus consul electus est (present participle: rel. tense ‘during’)
although many were fighting in opposition, a scoundrel was elected consul

conditional:
occurrebat ei debilem praeturam futuram <esse>, consule Milone (present participle ‘being’ understood)
it occurred to him that his prœtorship would be feeble, if Milo was consul
Formal Analysis of an Ablative Absolute
If you find an ablative absolute, copy the entire clause into the table, and type ‘AA’
in the box to the left of the clause; then:
1.
2.
3.
4.
underline the (a) (pro)noun/proper name and (b) the participle;
in the box labeled analysis, type down tense and voice of the participle; type
also the relative tense of the participle (does the action of the participle
happen before, during or after the main verb?);
in the box labeled minimal translation, translate only the ablative absolute, as
literally as possible;
in the box ‘full translation’, translate the entire clause in good English,
expressing ‘flavor’ of the participle (circumstantial, causal, conditional, or
concessive)
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1
clause
analysis
minimal translation
full translation
2
clause
analysis
minimal translation
full translation
3
clause
analysis
minimal translation
full translation
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