Dictionary formsum, esse, fui, futurus
Translation
to be
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Examples
Romanus .
I am a Roman.
?
Where is the father?
.
There are many people in the city.
.
The war was a long one.
.
This cannot be true.
Learn the present tense of "sum" as a block, because recognising these eight strings is most of what reading early Latin consists of: sum (I am), es (you are), est (he, she or it is), sumus (we are), estis (you all are), sunt (they are). The infinitive is "esse", to be.
It is wildly irregular, and the other stems have to be learned rather than derived. The imperfect runs eram, eras, erat, eramus, eratis, erant (I was, you were, and so on); the future is ero, eris, erit; the perfect is fui, fuisti, fuit, with the infinitive "fuisse". The subjunctive supplies "sit" and "sint" in the present and "esset" and "essent" in the imperfect, and those turn up constantly inside "ut" and "cum" clauses.
Two habits to build. First, "sum" takes a NOMINATIVE on both sides, not an accusative: "Romanus sum", not "Romanum". Second, it is frequently used to mean "there is" or "there are" with no separate word for "there" at all.
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
(18)Novem loca
1 min read · Core 1000
Vinum bonum
1 min read · Core 1000
Et cum spiritu tuo
2 min read · Core 1000
Carmina mea
2 min read · Core 1000
In principio creavit Deus
2 min read · Core 5000
In principio erat Verbum
2 min read · Core 5000
Nemo melior
2 min read · Core 1000
Si tuleritis
2 min read · Core 1000
Ex Britannia
2 min read · Core 1000
Pater noster
2 min read · Core 5000
Pro amica
2 min read · Core 1000
Venus
3 min read · Core 1000
Parvo pretio
3 min read · Core 1000
In parietibus Pompeianis
3 min read · Core 5000
Inter sepulcra
3 min read · Core 1000
Vivamus, mea Lesbia
3 min read · Core 5000
Gallia est omnis divisa
5 min read · Core 5000
Lupus et agnus
5 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(22)The Latin Ablative Absolute: urbe capta, signo dato
Biblical Latin: How to Read the Vulgate as a Learner
Latin Cases: What Each of the Six Cases Does (Chart)
Latin Connectors: tamen, quamquam, ergo, igitur and autem
Latin Fourth and Fifth Declensions: manus, res, dies
Latin Future, Pluperfect and Future Perfect
Latin Gerunds and Gerundives: ars amandi, delenda est
Latin Imperative: Commands like dic, fac, venite
Latin Imperfect Tense: -bam, -bas, -bat and eram
Latin Question Words: quis, quid, ubi, cur
Latin Irregular Verbs: sum, possum, eo, fero, volo, nolo, malo
Latin Mass Responses: The Full Text, With Literal English
Latin Tattoo Phrases: Grammatical Ones and Famous Mistakes
Latin Participles: amans, amatus, amaturus
Latin Passive Periphrastic: Carthago delenda est
The Latin Passive and Deponent Verbs: amatur, locutus sum
Latin Perfect and Pluperfect Subjunctive: amaverim, amavissem
The Latin Perfect: dixi, feci, fui
Latin Principal Parts: Why Verbs Have Four Forms
The Latin Subjunctive: amet, amaret, sit, esset
Latin Verb Endings Chart: -o, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt
Latin Word Order: Free, But Not Random
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Latin · Free printables
sum: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "sum" (to be): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 1, lesson 3: sum, et, in and 11 more words.