3.3 Third conjugation

Third conjugation verbs are a crucial part of Latin grammar. They have unique patterns in conjugation and stem formation, characterized by a short -e- in the second principal part. Mastering these verbs is key to understanding complex Latin texts.

Third conjugation verbs have distinct present, perfect, and supine stems. The present stem forms present system tenses, while the perfect stem constructs perfect system tenses. The supine stem is used for participles and verbal nouns. Understanding these stems is essential for conjugating verbs correctly.

Overview of third conjugation

• Third conjugation represents a significant group of Latin verbs with distinct patterns in conjugation and stem formation
• Characterized by the short vowel -e- in the second principal part, distinguishing it from other conjugation groups
• Mastery of third conjugation verbs enhances overall Latin proficiency and comprehension of complex texts

Stem formation

Present stem

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• Formed by removing the -ere ending from the second principal part
• Often undergoes consonant changes or vowel alterations in conjugation
• Serves as the base for present system tenses and some non-finite forms

Perfect stem

• Derived from the third principal part by removing the final -i
• Exhibits various formation patterns including reduplication, vowel lengthening, and suffixation
• Used to construct perfect system tenses and related forms

Supine stem

• Obtained by removing the -um ending from the fourth principal part
• Forms the basis for perfect passive participles and future active participles
• Plays a crucial role in the formation of certain verbal nouns and adjectives

Principal parts

Identifying third conjugation verbs

• Second principal part ends in -ere with a short -e- (ducere, regere, mittere)
• First person singular present indicative often ends in -o or -io
• Third principal part typically ends in -i, with various stem changes possible
• Fourth principal part usually ends in -um or -sum

Memorizing principal parts

• Group verbs with similar patterns to aid memorization (capio, cepi, captum)
• Create mnemonic devices or visual associations for irregular forms
• Practice reciting principal parts in order to reinforce memory
• Utilize flashcards or digital tools for spaced repetition learning

Present system

Present tense forms

• Utilize the present stem with personal endings (-o, -is, -it, -imus, -itis, -unt)
• Incorporate a connecting vowel -i- before endings in some persons and numbers
• Active and passive voice forms follow distinct patterns
• Irregular verbs may deviate from standard conjugation (fero, ferre, tuli, latum)

Imperfect tense forms

• Formed by adding -ba- to the present stem, followed by personal endings
• Denotes ongoing or habitual actions in the past
• Uses the same endings for both active and passive voices
• Translate with "was/were" + verb-ing or "used to" + verb in English

Future tense forms

• Constructed by adding -a- (1st and 2nd conjugation) or -e- (3rd and 4th) to the present stem
• Personal endings vary slightly from present tense (-m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt)
• Expresses actions that will occur in the future
• Passive voice forms use the same stem with passive personal endings

Perfect system

Perfect tense forms

• Utilize the perfect stem with specific perfect endings (-i, -isti, -it, -imus, -istis, -erunt)
• Denote completed actions in the past
• Often translate to simple past tense in English (scripsit = "he wrote")
• Passive voice forms use the perfect passive participle with forms of "sum"

Pluperfect tense forms

• Formed by adding -era- to the perfect stem, followed by personal endings
• Expresses actions completed before another past action
• Translates to "had" + past participle in English (scripseramus = "we had written")
• Passive voice uses the perfect passive participle with imperfect forms of "sum"

Future perfect tense forms

• Constructed by adding -eri- to the perfect stem, with slight variations in endings
• Indicates actions that will be completed in the future before another action
• Translates to "will have" + past participle in English (scripserit = "he will have written")
• Passive voice employs the perfect passive participle with future forms of "sum"

Imperative mood

Present imperative

• Second person singular formed by removing -re from the infinitive (duc, rege)
• Second person plural adds -te to the present stem (ducite, regite)
• Negative commands use "noli" or "nolite" with the infinitive
• Deponent verbs follow active endings but retain passive meaning

Future imperative

• Used for commands to be carried out in the future or continued over time
• Second and third person forms exist in both singular and plural
• Formed by adding specific endings to the present stem (-to, -tote, -nto)
• Less common than present imperative but important in legal or formal contexts

Subjunctive mood

Present subjunctive

• Formed by changing the thematic vowel of the present stem to -a- (except first conjugation)
• Uses regular personal endings (-m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt)
• Expresses wishes, possibilities, or actions in subordinate clauses
• Often translated with "may" or "let" in independent uses

Imperfect subjunctive

• Constructed by adding -re- to the present infinitive, followed by personal endings
• Used in contrary-to-fact conditions in the present
• Appears in subordinate clauses in sequence of tenses
• Can express wishes impossible to fulfill in the present

Perfect subjunctive

• Utilizes the perfect stem with specific endings (-erim, -eris, -erit, -erimus, -eritis, -erint)
• Denotes completed action in subordinate clauses
• Used in result clauses and indirect questions
• Passive forms use the perfect passive participle with present subjunctive of "sum"

Pluperfect subjunctive

• Formed by adding -isse- to the perfect stem, followed by personal endings
• Expresses completed action prior to a past reference point in subordinate clauses
• Used in contrary-to-fact conditions in the past
• Passive forms employ the perfect passive participle with imperfect subjunctive of "sum"

Infinitives

Present active infinitive

• Formed by adding -ere to the present stem (ducere, regere)
• Used as the verbal noun and in indirect statements
• Often serves as the dictionary form of the verb
• Can function as the subject or object of a sentence

Present passive infinitive

• Constructed by adding -i to the present stem (duci, regi)
• Expresses the action of being acted upon in the present
• Used in passive periphrastic constructions
• Appears in indirect statements with accusative subject

Perfect infinitive

• Active form uses the perfect stem with -isse (duxisse, rexisse)
• Passive form employs the perfect passive participle with "esse"
• Denotes completed action in indirect statements
• Used with certain verbs like "memini" to express present meaning

Participles

Present active participle

• Formed by adding -ns (nominative) or -ntis (genitive) to the present stem
• Declines like a third declension adjective
• Expresses action occurring simultaneously with the main verb
• Often translated as "-ing" in English (ducens = "leading")

Future active participle

• Constructed by adding -urus, -a, -um to the supine stem
• Declines like a first and second declension adjective
• Indicates action that is about to happen or intended
• Used in the active periphrastic construction to express intention

Perfect passive participle

• Formed from the supine stem with -us, -a, -um endings
• Declines like a first and second declension adjective
• Denotes completed action or resulting state
• Used to form passive perfect system tenses and the passive voice

Third conjugation -io verbs

Characteristics of -io verbs

• Present stem ends in -i- before a consonant (capio, capere, cepi, captum)
• Follow third conjugation patterns in most forms
• Present tense forms resemble fourth conjugation in some persons
• Include both transitive and intransitive verbs

Differences from regular third conjugation

• Present indicative third person plural ends in -iunt instead of -unt
• Present subjunctive forms retain the -i- throughout (capiam, capias, etc.)
• Imperative singular lacks the final -e (cape instead of *capie)
• Present passive infinitive ends in -i like regular third conjugation, not -iri

Common third conjugation verbs

High-frequency verbs

• ago, agere, egi, actum (to do, drive)
• dico, dicere, dixi, dictum (to say)
• mitto, mittere, misi, missum (to send)
• pono, ponere, posui, positum (to place)
• Recognizing these verbs improves reading fluency and comprehension

Irregular verbs

• fero, ferre, tuli, latum (to bear, carry)
• eo, ire, ivi/ii, itum (to go)
• fio, fieri, factus sum (to become, be made)
• volo, velle, volui (to wish, want)
• These verbs require special attention due to their unique conjugation patterns

Third conjugation vs other conjugations

Similarities and differences

• Shares perfect system formations with other conjugations
• Present system forms distinct due to the short -e- in infinitive
• Participle formation follows similar patterns across conjugations
• Subjunctive mood formation aligns closely with fourth conjugation

Recognition strategies

• Identify the -ere ending in the infinitive with a short -e-
• Look for consonant stems in the present tense
• Note the variety of perfect stem formations
• Be aware of -io verbs that blend third and fourth conjugation features

Translation considerations

Tense and aspect

• Consider the context to determine appropriate English tense
• Perfect tense can translate as simple past or present perfect depending on context
• Imperfect tense often requires progressive or habitual past in English
• Future tenses may need auxiliary verbs like "will" or "shall" in translation

Voice and mood

• Distinguish between active and passive voice for accurate translation
• Subjunctive mood may require additional words to convey uncertainty or possibility
• Imperative mood translations should reflect the command or exhortation
• Participles often translate as relative clauses or temporal phrases in English