CL210:Intermediate Latin
Skidmore College/Spring, 2008
C. Welser
(The Dreaded) Participles
The Basics:
A PARTICIPLE is a VERBAL ADJECTIVE that participates in the functions of both verbs
and adjectives:
 it is like a verb in that it expresses action and has tense (present, perfect, future)
and voice (active, passive)
 it is like an adjective in that it has case and gender and can modify a noun or, by
itself, function substantively (i.e., as a virtual noun if there is no noun for it to
agree with)
I. Formation and Declension of the Latin Participles
► Latin has four kinds of participles, all of which are based on one of two stems, the “present
stem” or the “participial stem.”
The present stems for the five types of verb conjugation look like this:
1st conj.
2nd conj.
3rd conj.
3rd conj. i-stem
4th conj.
example verb
present stem
laudō, laudāre
moneō, monēre
agō, agere
faciō, facere
audiō, audīre
laudamoneagefacieaudie-
Although there are various ways to write “rules” for the formation of present stems, the
forms are fairly intuitive.
The participial stem is generally the 4th P.P. of the verb minus the last two letters
(which in Wheelock are given as –um and in other Latin textbooks are often given as
–us).
For example, the 4th P.P. of tollō, tollere is sublātum. So the participial stem for this verb
is sublāt-. The 4th P.P. of parō, parāre is parātum, so this verb’s participial stem is parāt-.
►The four types of Latin participles are formed from the present and participial stems as follows:
1. The PRESENT ACTIVE PPLE. forms its nominative singular by lengthening the last
vowel of the present stem and adding –ns. The genitive singular of this participle is
formed by adding –ntis to the present stem (without lengthening the last vowel).
For example, for sciō, scīre, the pres. act. pple. is sciēns (gen. scientis).
The declension of the PRES. ACT. PPLE. is basically that of a regular third declension
adj. of one ending, with the difference that the pres. act. pple. has two possible abl. sing.
endings, one in –ī and one in –e. Here is the declension of the pres. act. pple. amāns
(from amō, amāre):
M/F
N
Sing.
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
amāns
amantis
amantī
amantem
amantī / amante
amāns
amantis
amantī
amāns
amantī / amante
Pl.
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
amantēs
amantum
amantibus
amantēs
amantibus
amantia
amantum
amantibus
amantia
amantibus
2. The PERFECT PASSIVE PPLE. forms its nom. sing. by adding –us, -a, -um to the
participial stem. It declines like a regular 1st/2nd decl. adjective.
3. The FUTURE ACTIVE PPLE. forms its nom. sing. by adding –ūrus, –ūra, -ūrum to the
participial stem. It declines like a regular 1st/2nd decl. adjective.
4. The FUTURE ACTIVE PPLE. forms its nom. sing. by adding –ndus, -nda, -ndum to the
present stem. It declines like a regular 1st/2nd decl. adjective.
►IMPORTANT: Not all Latin verbs have all four participles. If a verb lacks the 4th P.P., the
two passive participles will not exist for that verb. The future active participle may, however,
exist. In this case, it is Wheelock’s practice to print, in place of the normal 4th P.P., the neuter
nom. sing. of the fut. act. pple. (from which the other forms can easily be inferred). Some
dictionaries, however, will print – often in parenthesis – an ordinary-looking 4th P.P. that can be
used to create the participial stem and thus the fut. act. pple.
II. Meaning and Translation of the Latin Participles
The tricky part about Latin participles is translating them. Their precise significance is
liable to change based on context, and they can be translated into English in many
different ways.
A1. [Participle in agreement with noun, pronoun or implied subject of a verb and
translated into English as a participial phrase.]
Often the basic translations of the participles given in the summary on the
accompanying gold sheet will be fully sufficient to represent the meaning:
Present Active:
Eum videō venientem per portam.
I see him coming through the gate.
Perfect Passive:
Hostēs captī ducēbantur ad mortem.
The captured enemies were being led to (their) death.
Captured, the enemies were being led to (their) death.
The enemies, having been captured, were being led to (their) death.
Future Active: Novōs librōs scriptūrae, pecūniam exspectant.
About to write new books, they are waiting for money.
Future Passive: Bella nunc gerenda erunt plēna perīculārum.
The wars now to be waged will be full of dangers.
The wars now needing to be waged will be full of dangers.
A2. [Participle used substantively and translated into English as a participial phrase.]
Sometimes, when the participle seems to stand alone, rather than agreeing with a noun,
pronoun or the implied subject of a verb, the noun must be supplied (as in the case of
other adjectives). Gender or context should guide the choice of the noun to be supplied
in English.
Present Active: Videō venientem per portam. (In this case, the gender is uncertain between M and F.)
I see someone (a person, etc.) coming through the gate.
Perfect Passive: Captī ducēbantur ad mortem.
The captured men were being led to (their) death.
Future Active: Novōs librōs scriptūrae pecūniam exspectant.
The women about to write new books are waiting for money.
Future Passive: Nunc gerenda erunt plēna perīculārum.
The things now to be undertaken will be full of dangers.
B1. [Participle in agreement with noun, pronoun or implied subject of a verb and
translated into English using a relative clause.]
►Translations of Participles Using Relative Clauses. Sometimes, it may be convenient or
desirable to translate participles not by a simple English participial phrase but by a relative
clause. When doing this, however, it is crucial to keep in mind that the tense of the
participle represents NOT absolute time but time relative to the action of the main
verb:
 the present participle represents action at the same time as the action of the main verb
 the perfect participle represents action taking place before the action of the main verb
 the future participle represents action taking place following the action of the main verb
The verb in the relative clause of your translation should be chosen accordingly.
Present Active: Virum videō ventientem per portam.
I see the man who is coming through the gate.
BUT
Virum vīdī venientem per portam.
I saw the man who was coming through the gate.
AND Virum vidēbo venientem per portam.
I will see the man who will be coming through the gate.
Perfect Passive: Hostēs captī ducēbuntur ad mortem.
The enemies who (will) have been captured will be led to (their) death.
Future Active: Novōs librōs scriptūrae pecūniam exspectābant.
The women who were going to write new books were waiting for money.
Future Passive: Bella gerenda erant plēna perīculārum.
The wars which had to be waged were full of dangers.
B2. [Participle used substantively and translated into English using a relative clause.]
A relative clause may also be used when translating participles which do not agree with
a noun, pronoun or the implied subject of a verb, and for which a noun must therefore
be supplied.
Present Active: Videō venientem per portam.
I see someone (a person, etc.) who is coming through the gate.
Perfect Passive: Captī ducēbuntur ad mortem.
The men who (will) have been captured will be led to (their) death.
Future Active: Novōs librōs scriptūrae pecūniam exspectābant.
The women who were about to write new books were waiting for money.
Future Passive: Gerenda erant plēna perīculārum.
The things which had to be undertaken were full of dangers.
C. [Participles translated circumstantially.]
►Sometimes, the participle in Latin is clearly intended to provide to information about the
circumstances under which the main verb occurred. These uses of the participle are called
circumstantial, and are pretty much restricted to cases where the participle agrees with a noun,
a pronoun, or the implied subject of a verb.
Conventionally, there are four ways in which Latin participles can be used
circumstantially:
type of pple.
translated by...
temporal
when-clause
causal
since-clause
concessive
although-clause
conditional if-clause
explanation
action of the pple. occurred at the same time as the
action of the main verb
action of the pple. in some way caused or permitted
the action of the main verb possible
action of the main verb occurred despite the action of
the pple.
action of the main verb is conditional upon the action
of the pple.
Usually, context will indicate that a participle is temporal, causal, concessive, or
conditional. Often, however, a participle can be translated in more than one way.
An example where various translations are possible:
Per portam veniēns, eum vīdī.
Coming through the gate, I saw him.
When I was coming through the gate, I saw him.
Since I was coming through the gate, I saw him.
Although I was coming through the gate, I saw him.
If I was coming through the gate, I saw him.
Examples in which particular translations seem to be indicated by meaning or context:
Uxor agricolae laborantis in agrīs discessit ā casā suā.
The wife of the farmer left the house when he
was working in the fields.
Nimium cito currēns, puer cecidit.
Since the boy was running too fast, he fell.
Habēns multās dīvitiās, rēx nōn poterit
tamen* cōpiās parāre.
Although he has great (lit., “many”) riches, the
king nevertheless will not be able to
obtain troops.
►The adverb tamen (“still, nevertheless”) is an especially common sign than a
participle is being used concessively and should be translated with “although.”
Pecūniā carēns, nauta dōna suae mātrī saepe nōn mittēbat.
If he lacked money, the sailor often would not send
gifts to his mother.