Subjunctive Mood Verbs
2015
What Is the Subjunctive Mood?
• You’ve already learned 2 moods of Latin verbs:
– 1. the indicative mood, used for statements of
fact and asking questions
– 2. the imperative mood, used for commands
Subjunctive Mood
• The subjunctive mood gives more of the
speaker’s or writer’s opinion or attitude
toward the truth of a statement.
• It can be used independently, as a main verb.
• It’s often used in dependent clauses, too.
Subjunctive Tenses
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We’ve learned 6 tenses of Latin verbs.
The subjunctive only has 4 tenses!
It also has active/passive voice.
Tenses:
There is no such
– Present
– Imperfect
– Perfect
– Pluperfect
thing as the
future or future
perfect
subjunctive.
Present Tense Subjunctive
• The present tense subjunctive uses the same
personal endings as regular verbs (swap out
“m” for “o” in 1st person singular):
• ACTIVE VOICE:
PASSIVE VOICE:
–M
–S
–T
-MUS
-TIS
-NT
-R
-MUR
-RIS -MINI
-TUR -NTUR
Present Tense Subjunctive
• Since present tense subjunctive uses the same
personal endings, something else has to
change to make it different from regular
present tense.
• It’s all in the VOWELS!
Pick Your Mnemonic Device:
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We Beat A Liar
She Wears A Tiara
The Beans At Brian’s
Let’s Eat Caviar!
She Reads A Diary
-E-EA-A-IA-
1st Conjugation: “A” changes to “E”
amo, amare
• amo
amamus
• amas SUBJUNCTIVE!
amatis
• amat
amant
amem
ames
amet
amemus
ametis
ament
2nd Conjugation: “E” changes to “EA”
moneo, monere
• moneo monemus
• mones
monetis
SUBJUNCTIVE!
• monet monent
moneam moneamus
moneas moneatis
moneat moneant
3rd Conjugation: “E” changes to “A”
rego, regere
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•
•
rego
regimus
SUBJUNCTIVE!
regis
regitis
regit
regunt
regam
regas
regat
regamus
regatis
regant
4th Conjugation: “I” changes to “IA”
munio, munire
• munio munimus
• munis
munitis
SUBJUNCTIVE!
• munit muniunt
muniam
munias
muniat
muniamus
muniatis
muniant
So…what does it do?
• A common independent use of the present
subjunctive is for something called the volitive
subjunctive. (remember “volo” for
“wish/want”?)
• It expresses the speakers wish, or desire, that
something be done.
Volitive Subjunctive
• Let them prepare dinner. OR They should
prepare dinner.
Cenam parent. (paro, parare: prepare)
• Let’s/let us explore the forest.
Silvam exploremus. (exploro, explorare)
• Ne silvam exploremus.
Let’s not explore the forest.
Volitive Subjunctive
• The volitive subjunctive is translated by “let”
or sometimes “should.”
• The negative is “ne” (not “non”).
• It works as a main verb.
• Other names for volitive: hortatory (for 1st
person plural “let’s…”), jussive (from “iubeo:
to order”)
Practice!
• Write the present tense subjunctive charts for
the following verbs:
– porto, portare (use ‘e’)
– doceo, docere (use ‘ea’)
– pono, ponere (use ‘a’)
– audio, audire (use ‘ia’)
Imperfect Tense Subjunctive
• Imperfect Subjunctive is VERY easy to make!
• Simply add the personal endings directly onto
the 2nd principal part (the infinitive). Do NOT
drop the –re.
• porto, portare, portavi, portatus
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portarem
portaremus
portares
portaretis
portaret
portarent
You can also use passive voice r, ris, tur, mur,
mini, ntur.
Perfect Tense Subjunctive
• Perfect Active: drop the –i to find the stem:
porto, portare, portavi, portatus: PORTAV• Then add:
• portaverim
portaverimus
• portaveris
portaveritis
• portaverit
portaverint
• N.B.: This looks very similar to future perfect
tense (indicative), except for the –erim.
Perfect Tense Subjunctive
• Perfect Passive: 4th principal part followed by
the present subjunctive of “sum.”
• portatus sim
• portatus sis
• portatus sit
portati simus
portati sitis
portati sint
Pluperfect Subjunctive
• Active Voice: Add –sse- then the personal
ending to the 3rd principal part:
• portavissem
• portavisses
• portavisset
portavissemus
portavissetis
portavissent
Pluperfect Subjunctive
• Passive Voice: 4th principal part followed by
the imperfect subjunctive of “sum”:
• portatus essem
• portatus esses
• portatus esset
portati essemus
portati essetis
portati essent
Practice!
• Conjugate doceo, docere, docui, doctus in all 4
subjunctive tenses, active and passive.
Other Subjunctive Uses
• Optative subjunctive: expresses a wish
• Optatives are often introduced with utinam:
“oh, if only…” or “if only…”
• Use “ne” instead of “non” to make it negative
• Present: use “may”
• Imperfect: use “might”
• Pluperfect: use “had”
Optative Subjunctive
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Utinam puella matrem amet.
If only the girl may love her mother.
(Utinam) puella matrem amaret.
If only the girl might love her mother.
(Utinam) puella matrem amavisset.
If only the girl had loved her mother.
Deliberative Subjunctive
• A sentence in which something is being
considered or deliberated.
• The negative uses “non” (not “ne”).
• Present subjunctive: “Am I to..”, “Are you to…”
etc.
• Imperfect subjunctive: “Was I to…”, “Were you
to…” etc.
Deliberative Subjunctive
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Amem matrem?
Am I to love my mother?
Puella matrem amet?
Is the girl to love her mother?
Amarem matrem?
Was I to love my mother?
Puella matrem non amaret?
Was the girl not to love her mother?
Potential Subjunctive
• A sentence which expresses the opinion of the
speaker as an opinion.
• “Non” makes it negative.
• Present: should
• Imperfect: would have, might have, could
have
Potential Subjunctive
• Quid facerem? What could I have done?
• Urbem deleri nolim. I would not like the city
to be destroyed.