Latin/Lesson 3-Subjunctive Imperfect
| Latin | |
| Intro: | 1 • 2 |
| Chapter 1 | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 |
| Chapter 2 | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 |
| Chapter 3 | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 |
| Chapter 4 | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 |
| Chapter 5 | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 |
The conjugation of the subjunctive imperfect active follows a simple rule. The verb in its infinitive form, that is, the second principle part, (amāre, to love, for example) simply has the active personal endings (-m/ō, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt) added:
ego amārem
tu amārēs
is amāret
nos amārēmus
vos amārētis
ei amārent
the passive voice is formed by the addition of passive personal endings (-r, -ris (-re), -tur, -mur, -minī, -ntur) onto the infinitive stem
ego amārer
tu amārēris (-re)
is amārētur
nos amārēmur
vos amārēmini
ei amārentur
Application
[edit | edit source]The imperfect subjunctive is only used for complex syntactic constructions; cum clauses and indirect questions and the like. Rarely, if ever, does it stand alone.
Because/Cum
[edit | edit source]One application is in its use with 'cum' in the sense of 'because' as a clause. e.g.
- Diutius cum sustinere nostrorum impetus non possent, Helvetii se in montem receperunt.
- When(Because) the Helvetis could not sustain/resist our attacks for long, they retreated to the mountains.