Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes
INTRODUCTION TO THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD
FEATURES OF VERBS: TENSE, VOICE, AND MOOD
Each Latin verb you encounter possesses several features which supply you with information essential to understanding its
meaning. Most of those features are ones we’ve learned before, however there is still one we still have not discussed.
amābāmus
1. DEFINITION

The DEFINITION of a verb tells you basic MEANING of the verb (ex. love, run, see). The definition of a verb
is contained within its stem or root. The stem of a verb is located at the _________________ of the verb
form.

Ex. the DEFINITION of amābāmus is “love” (stem = amā)
2. PERSON AND NUMBER

The PERSON AND NUMBER of a verb tell you WHO the subject of the verb is (ex. I, you, he/she/it, we, you
all, they). There are 6 person number combinations. The person and number can be found at the
_________________ of the verb form.

Ex. the PERSON AND NUMBER of amābāmus is 1st person plural (person and number ending = -mus)
3. TENSE AND ASPECT

The TENSE AND ASPECT of a verb tell you WHEN AND HOW the verb is being done. There are 6 tenses and
many different aspects (ex. simple, progressive, completed, continual, etc.). Aspect is decided by tense and
if more than one is possible, the best aspect is decided based on CONTEXT by the reader/listener. The
tense of a verb can be determined by looking at the infix/tense sign in the _______________ of the verb
form or looking at the principal part and ending used in the verb form.

Ex. the TENSE of amābāmus is imperfect (tense sign/infix = -bā-) and the ASPECT could be either habitual
(used to love) or continuous (was loving)
4. VOICE

The VOICE of a verb tells you whether the subject of a verb is DOING or RECEIVING the action of the
verb. The voice of a verb can either be ACTIVE (if the subject is doing the action of the verb) or
PASSIVE (if the subject is receiving the action of the verb)

Ex. the VOICE of amābāmus is active because the subject “we” are doing the action of loving.
5. MOOD

The MOOD of a verb tells you MODE OR MANNER in which the verb is expressed to the reader/listener.
You are already familiar with two of the three Latin moods, the INDICATIVE, which “indicates” real
actions that definitely have occurred in the past, or are occurring in the present, or that likely will occur in
the future, and the IMPERATIVE, which commands someone to undertake and action that is not yet going
on.

Ex. the MOOD of amābāmus is indicative, because it indicates that we are in fact loving someone/thing
now in present time, in actuality
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes

The SUBJUNCTIVE mood, in contrast to the indicative (which is the mood of factuality and actuality), is
the mood of potential, tentative, hypothetical, ideal, or sometimes unreal, action.

In English, the subjunctive is expressed by adding helping words to verb forms, like “were”, “would” to
indicate actions that are hypothetical, or “might”, “may”, “should”, “may have”, and “would have” to
express potential or ideal actions
i. Ex. “If I were queen of the world, I would end hunger and poverty…” (but in reality, I’m not)
ii. “I should leave at 4, if I am going to get to this appointment on time…” (but in reality, I may not)
iii. “I might see you later, if I don’t have too much homework to do…” (but in reality, I might not)

Each different type of subjunctive verb will use a different helping word in it’s translation, depending on
what kind of potential action that subjunctive is trying to express

The subjunctive verb forms themselves in Latin, however, are all the same. Today we will learn the forms
for the PRESENT TENSE only
1ST CONJUGATION, PRESENT TENSE
Person and Number
INDICATIVE form
SUBJUNCTIVE form
1 singular
amō
amem
2nd singular
amās
amēs
3rd singular
amat
amet
1st plural
amāmus
amēmus
2nd plural
amātis
amētis
3rd plural
amant
ament
st
How does the SUBJUNCTIVE form differ from the indicative form for the 1st conjugation?
2ND CONJUGATION, PRESENT TENSE
Person and Number
INDICATIVE form
SUBJUNCTIVE form
1st singular
habeō
habeam
2nd singular
habēs
habeās
3rd singular
habet
habeat
1st plural
habēmus
habeāmus
2nd plural
habētis
habeātis
3rd plural
habent
habeant
How does the SUBJUNCTIVE form differ from the indicative form for the 2nd conjugation?
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes
3RD CONJUGATION, PRESENT TENSE
Person and Number
INDICATIVE form
SUBJUNCTIVE form
1st singular
dūcō
dūcam
2nd singular
dūcis
dūcās
3rd singular
dūcit
dūcat
1st plural
dūcimus
dūcāmus
2nd plural
dūcitis
dūcātis
3rd plural
dūcunt
dūcant
How does the SUBJUNCTIVE form differ from the indicative form for the 3rd conjugation?
3RD –IO AND 4TH CONJUGATIONS, PRESENT TENSE
Person and Number
INDICATIVE form
SUBJUNCTIVE form
1st singular
audiō
audiam
2nd singular
audīs
audiās
3rd singular
audit
audiat
1st plural
audīmus
audiāmus
2nd plural
audītis
audiātis
3rd plural
audiunt
audiant
How does the SUBJUNCTIVE form differ from the indicative form for the 3rd –io and 4th conjugations?

You can also use this helpful acronym to remember the subjunctive changes for the present tense
She wears a diamond
__ __ __ __
We beat a liar
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes
POTENTIAL SUBJUNCTIVES

The potential usage of the subjunctive is used to express an action that might possibly or conceivably
occur.

We translate potential subjunctives using the words “would”, “could”, “might”, or “may”
o dīcās eum hominem bonum esse.

You
that he is a good man;
you
that he is a good man;
you
that he is a good man.
We have already encountered a potential subjunctive in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, I. 463-464: Fīlius huic
Veneris, “Fīgat tuus omnia, Phoebe, tē meus arcus,”
Exerceāmus!
Directions: Translate the following sentences either from Latin into English. Double underline the
potential subjunctives in each one.
1. nympha amet Phoebum sī sagittā obtūsā Cupidinis nōn fīgitur.
2. serpentem tumidum ille deus flexō arcō vīncat, sed hic eum tēlō quod amōrem facit vīncere
potest.
3. hoc tēlum amōrem faciat, illud fuget.
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes
4. Daphnē, innupta impatiēnsque virōrum, aemula Phoebēs sit.
CHECK:_______
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes
PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE PRACTICE
Exerceāmus! POTENTIAL SUBJUNCTIVE PRACTICE
Directions: Translate the following sentences based on lines 485-491 including potential subjunctive verbs.
Double underline the verbs in the subjunctive mood.
1.
Daphnē cupiat esse virgō perpetuē sī potest.
2.
genitor Daphnēs det dōnum virginitātis fīliae quia dedit hoc pater ante Diānae.
3. Phoebus spēret cōnūbia Daphnēs sed sua ōrācula illum fallunt.
VERB FORM
CONJUGATION #
1. dīcit
2. dēs
3. optās
4. obsequitur
5. cupiat
6. fallant
7. adolentur
8. repugnet
9. haereāmus
10. est
Irreg.
MOOD:
SUBJUNCTIVE OR INDICATIVE?
CHANGE MOOD IN LATIN
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes
JUSSIVE SUBJUNCTIVES AND INDIRECT QUESTIONS
JUSSIVE SUBJUNCTIVES

The jussive use of the subjunctive expresses a command or exhortation, usually in the 1st or 3rd person

The jussive subjunctive is an independent subjunctive, meaning it appears in the independent clause of a
sentence as the main, and often only, verb of the sentence

Negative jussive subjunctives are introduced by the word nē

We translate jussive subjunctives using the words “let”, “may” or “should”.
o Dīcam dē hōc librō.
___________ me speak about this book;
___________ I speak about this book;
I ___________ speak about this book.
o Nē hoc crīmen faciant.
___________ them not commit this crime;
___________ they not commit this crime;
They ______________ not commit this crime;
Exerceāmus!
Directions: Translate the following sentences either from Latin into English. Double underline the jussive
subjunctives in each one.
5. Itaque prō patriā etiam maiōra meliōraque nunc faciāmus.
6. Nē imperātor superbus crēdat sē esse fēlīciōrem quam virum humillum.
(imperatōr, -ōris m. emperor, ruler; fēlix, fēlīcis happy; humilis, -is, -e humble)
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes
INDIRECT QUESTIONS

Like indirect speech, indirect questions are dependent clauses which report a question indirectly, NOT
using a direct quotation
o DIRECT – They asked, “What is Gaius doing?”
o INDIRECT – They asked what Gaius was doing.

Indirect questions use subjunctive mood verb forms

Indirect questions are introduced by interrogative words such as:

o quis/quī
who
o quid
what
o quam
how
o quandō
when
o cūr
why
o ubi
when
o unde
from where
Subjunctive verbs in indirect questions are not translated any differently than indicative verb forms and
need no other additional words to help translate them
o Rogant quid Gaius faciat.
They ask what Gaius
.
I don’t know from where
.
o Nesciō unde veniant.
Exerceāmus!
Directions: Translate the following sentences either from Latin into English. Double underline the indirect
question subjunctives in each one.
1. Apollo nescit ubi Daphnē currat, sed eam sequētur.
2. Nympha Pēnēia mīrātur cūr deus eam celeriter insequātur.
(mīror (1) wonder; insequor (3) pursue, chase)
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes
STATIM:
Complete the following blanks as review

The SUBJUNCTIVE mood, in contrast to the indicative (which is the mood of factuality and
actuality), is the mood of
,
,
,
, or sometimes unreal, action.

So far we’ve learned 3 usages of the subjunctive mood:
i. POTENTIAL
1. Express actions that might possibly or conceivably occur
2. Translate using the words
,
,
, or
ii. JUSSIVE
1. Independent clauses
2. Negative jussives are introduced by the word nē
3. Translate using the words
,
, or
iii. INDIRECT QUESTION
1. Dependent clauses which report questions indirectly
2. Introduced by question words such as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

The PRESENT tense of the subjunctive mood is marked by 4 stem vowel changes for the 5
tenses:
i. 1st conjugation: ā  ______
ii. 2nd conjugation: ē  ______
iii. 3rd reg. conjugation: i  ______
iv. 3rd –io and 4th conjugations: ī  ______
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes
The IMPERFECT Tense for the Subjunctive Mood
For our purposes of reading Ovid and Golden Age Latin poetry, we will need to know both the PRESENT tense
for the subjunctive mood as well as the IMPERFECT tense.
1. CONJUGATION
Examine the following IMPERFECT tense subjunctives below and try to determine how IMPERFECT tense
subjunctive verbs are conjugated for ALL 5 conjugations.
1ST CONJUGATION, IMPERFECT TENSE
Person and Number
INDICATIVE form
SUBJUNCTIVE form
1st singular
amābam
amārem
2nd singular
amābās
amārēs
3rd singular
amābat
amāret
1st plural
amābāmus
amārēmus
2nd plural
amābātis
amārētis
3rd plural
amābant
amārent
2ND CONJUGATION, IMPERFECT TENSE
Person and Number
INDICATIVE form
SUBJUNCTIVE form
1st singular
habēbam
habērem
2nd singular
habēbās
habērēs
3rd singular
habēbat
habēret
1st plural
habēbāmus
habērēmus
2nd plural
habēbātis
habērētis
3rd plural
habēbant
habērent
3RD CONJUGATION, IMPERFECT TENSE
Person and Number
INDICATIVE form
SUBJUNCTIVE form
1 singular
dūcēbam
dūcerem
2nd singular
dūcēbās
dūcerēs
3rd singular
dūcēbat
dūceret
1st plural
dūcēbāmus
dūcerēmus
st
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes
2nd plural
dūcēbātis
dūcerētis
3rd plural
dūcēbant
dūcerent
4TH CONJUGATION, IMPERFECT TENSE
Person and Number
INDICATIVE form
SUBJUNCTIVE form
1 singular
audiēbam
audīrem
2nd singular
audiēbās
audīrēs
3rd singular
audiēbat
audīret
1st plural
audiēbāmus
audīrēmus
2nd plural
audiēbātis
audīrētis
3rd plural
audiēbant
audīrent
st
How is the IMPERFECT tense of the subjunctive mood formed for ALL conjugations?
(ending with a long ‘e’) +
For DEPONENT verbs:
-ī + ē *+
*For 3rd conjugation:
- ī + erē +
2. TRANSLATION
The rules for translating subjunctives are exactly the same for the imperfect tense as the ones you have learned
for the present tense. The only difference is that the verbs themselves will be translated as imperfect tense verbs.
o Ex. Dīcās eum hominem bonum esse. (PRESENT TENSE potential subjunctive)

You might say that he is a good man;

You would say that he is a good man;

You could say that he is a good man.
o Dīcerēs eum hominem bonum esse. (IMPERFECT TENSE potential subjunctive)

You would have been saying/would have said that he was a good man.

You
that he was a good man.
Nōmen_______________________
Latin II Summer Session
Class Notes

You
that he was a good man.
EXERCEĀMUS! TRANSLATION AND COMPOSITION
Directions: Translate the following sentences either from Latin into English or English into Latin.
1. Daphnē mirāta est cūr Phoebus eam insequerētur.
a. Subjunctive verb:
b. Type of subjunctive (circle one): Jussive / Potential / Indirect Question
c. Translate sentence:
2. Phoebus nōn cuperet sentēs notāre crūra Daphnēs.
a. Subjunctive verb:
b. Type of subjunctive (circle one): Jussive / Potential / Indirect Question
c. Translate sentence:
3. Peneus nesciēbat quam suam fīliam adiuvāret.
(adiuvō (1) to help, aid)
a. Subjunctive verb:
b. Type of subjunctive (circle one): Jussive / Potential / Indirect Question
c. Translate sentence:
4. nympha virginitātem tenēre posset sī tam pulchra nōn erat.
a. Subjunctive verb:
b. Type of subjunctive (circle one): Jussive / Potential / Indirect Question
(tam so)
Nōmen_______________________
Class Notes
c. Translate sentence:
Latin II Summer Session