Latin Grammar
Cum + Subjunctive
1. The subjunctive is used to express wishes, ideas and intentions. There is no subjunctive mood in English so there
is no one single translation.
2. The pluperfect subjunctive is formed from the perfect stem + isse + person endings e.g.:
a. Portav is the perfect stem of the verb ‘portare’ – to carry
b. Add the isse portavisse
c. Add the person endings: m, s, t, mus, tis, nt.
This forms: portavissem- I had carried
Portavisses – You had carried
Portavisset – He had carried etc.
3. Cum + the pluperfect subjunctive describes ‘when something had happened’:
E.g. cum gladiators leonem interfecissent, spectators plauserunt
When the gladiators had killed the lion, the spectators applauded.
4. The imperfect subjunctive is formed from the infinitive + person endings, e.g.:
a. Portare is the infinitive
b. And the person endings: m, s, t, mus, tis, nt.
This forms: portarem – I was carrying
Portares - You were carrying
Portaret – He was carrying
5. The main use of the imperfect subjunctive is to describe an ongoing action in the past, very similar to the
indicative imperfect. When it is used with the word ‘cum’ it means “when/ while X was –ing”.
E.g. cum custodies dormirent, fures e carcare effugerent.
When/ while the guards were sleeping, the thieves escaped from the prison.
Direct and Indirect Questions:
6. Indirect questions report or refer to a question (spoken or thought) that was asked previously:
Direct: Why are you silent?
Indirect: I asked the slave why he was silent.
The question word is retained – The verb moves one tense back – There is no question mark.
7. Direct: cur taces?
Indirect: servum regavi cur taceret?
The question word (cur) remains – There is no question mark – The verb moves back one tense – the verb is
subjunctive (imperfect)
E.g. iudex me rogavit ubi pecuniam invenissent.
The judge asked me where they had found the money.
Gerundives:
8. A gerundive is an adjective made from a verb and it is used to show necessity. It is formed from the verb stem,
the characteristic vowel for the conjugation and the letters –and the noun is in the dative case. Because it is an
adjective it has to agree with the noun in gender and number. It takes the endings of the 1 st and 2nd declension.
1st – portandus a um - ‘needing to be carried’
nd
2 - docendus a um - ‘needing to be taught’
rd
3 - trahendus a um - ‘needing to be dragged’
th
4 - audiendus a um - ‘needing to be heard’
E.g. tibi hic manendum est – You must remain here
Service diligenter laborandum est – The slaves must work carefully
Cum + Subjunctive
1. The subjunctive is used to express wishes, ideas and intentions. There is no subjunctive mood in English so there
is no one single translation.
2. The pluperfect subjunctive is formed from the perfect stem + isse + person endings e.g.:
a. Portav is the perfect stem of the verb ‘portare’ – to carry
b. Add the isse portavisse
c. Add the person endings: m, s, t, mus, tis, nt.
This forms: portavissem- I had carried
Portavisses – You had carried
Portavisset – He had carried etc.
3. Cum + the pluperfect subjunctive describes ‘when something had happened’:
E.g. cum gladiators leonem interfecissent, spectators plauserunt
When the gladiators had killed the lion, the spectators applauded.
4. The imperfect subjunctive is formed from the infinitive + person endings, e.g.:
a. Portare is the infinitive
b. And the person endings: m, s, t, mus, tis, nt.
This forms: portarem – I was carrying
Portares - You were carrying
Portaret – He was carrying
5. The main use of the imperfect subjunctive is to describe an ongoing action in the past, very similar to the
indicative imperfect. When it is used with the word ‘cum’ it means “when/ while X was –ing”.
E.g. cum custodies dormirent, fures e carcare effugerent.
When/ while the guards were sleeping, the thieves escaped from the prison.
Direct and Indirect Questions:
6. Indirect questions report or refer to a question (spoken or thought) that was asked previously:
Direct: Why are you silent?
Indirect: I asked the slave why he was silent.
The question word is retained – The verb moves one tense back – There is no question mark.
7. Direct: cur taces?
Indirect: servum regavi cur taceret?
The question word (cur) remains – There is no question mark – The verb moves back one tense – the verb is
subjunctive (imperfect)
E.g. iudex me rogavit ubi pecuniam invenissent.
The judge asked me where they had found the money.
Gerundives:
8. A gerundive is an adjective made from a verb and it is used to show necessity. It is formed from the verb stem,
the characteristic vowel for the conjugation and the letters –and the noun is in the dative case. Because it is an
adjective it has to agree with the noun in gender and number. It takes the endings of the 1 st and 2nd declension.
1st – portandus a um - ‘needing to be carried’
nd
2 - docendus a um - ‘needing to be taught’
rd
3 - trahendus a um - ‘needing to be dragged’
th
4 - audiendus a um - ‘needing to be heard’
E.g. tibi hic manendum est – You must remain here
Service diligenter laborandum est – The slaves must work carefully
