Ch 9 · Lesson 8Latin · Chapter 9 · Lesson 8 · Grammar primer
The present subjunctive: vocet, dicat, sit
, he calls; , let him call. The subjunctive is a mood, and its present changes one vowel. The imperfect and what the subjunctive does on its own are the next two lessons.
The short version
The present subjunctive changes one vowel
; .
Why?Hide
The first conjugation swaps its -a- for an -e-: , he calls; , let him call. Every other conjugation takes an -a-: , , . gives , sis, sit. In the third conjugation that puts three tenses one vowel apart: (he says), (he will say), (let him say).
The subjunctive is a mood, not a tense. It marks a verb as ordered, wished, intended or imagined, not stated as fact. The present subjunctive changes one vowel; the imperfect adds the endings to the infinitive.
| Tense | Indicative | Subjunctive | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| present | | | let him call |
| present | | | let him say |
| present | | | let it be |
| imperfect | | | (if) he were calling |
| imperfect | | | (if) it were |
On its own in a main clause, it gives orders and makes wishes. Inside other clauses it does far more, and the lessons that follow this one build on it.
A mood, not a tense
Latin verbs have three moods:
| Mood | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| indicative | | he comes (a fact) |
| imperative | | come! (an order to you) |
| subjunctive | | let him come, may he come |
So a subjunctive has no fixed English translation. The same is let him come on its own, and so that he may come after . Learn the form, then read the clause around it.
The present subjunctive: change the vowel
The first conjugation swaps its -- for an -e-. Every other conjugation takes an --:
| Person | voco (1st) | habeo (2nd) | dico (3rd) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | | | |
| you | | | |
| he, she | | | |
| we | | | |
| you (pl) | | | |
| they | | | |
The -io verbs and the fourth conjugation keep their -i- and add the --: , let him take; , let him hear.
The endings are the ordinary ones, except -m for I instead of -.
sum, possum, volo, eo
The common irregulars are short and worth learning as a block:
| Verb | I, he, they | English |
|---|---|---|
| | let me, him, them be |
| | may I, he, they be able |
| | may I, he, they want |
| | let me, him, them go |
| | let me, it, them be made |
| | let me, him, them give |
Two of them are famous on their own:
.- Let there be light. (Genesis 1:3, in the Vulgate).- May the earth lie light on you. (a Roman epitaph, so common it was carved as S T T L)
Going further: The imperfect subjunctive: infinitive plus ending and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
10-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
Latin · Free printables
Worksheets for this lesson
Worksheets with answer keys built in. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekLesson 8 of 38 in this chapter