This document discusses deponent verbs in Latin. It begins by explaining that deponent verbs have passive endings but active meanings. It then covers the principal parts, conjugations, present, imperfect, future, perfect system, participles, and passive forms of deponent verbs. Examples are provided throughout to illustrate how to conjugate and translate deponent verbs. Exercises with translations are included at the end. The key aspects are that deponent verbs act similarly to passive verbs in form but have active meanings and translations.

1. Chapter 20, Part III

2. Active Voice
• In the active, the subject is doing the action of the
verb:
Cornelia Marcum salutat.
Corenlia is actively greeting
Marcus – note the active voice
endings.

3. Passive Voice
• In the passive voice, the action is being done
by the subject:
Marcus a Cornelia salutatur.
Here, Cornelia is still the one
greeting, but this time, the action
is being done by her – note the
passive voice endings

4. Deponent Verbs
• Deponent verbs are a mix of active and
passive – passive endings and active
translations:
Cornelia Marcum videre conatur.
Cornelia is actively doing the action of
trying to see, but notice that conatur has
passive endings . . . this is a deponent!

5. Deponent Verb Endings
a.k.a. ‘Nothing New’

6. Principal Parts
• Deponent Verbs have only three principal parts
1st principal
part
first person singular
present tense
conor
2nd principal
part
present active
infinitive
conari
3rd principal
part
first person singular
perfect tense
conatus sum

7. Conjugations
• Use the infinitive/second principal part to find the
conjugation:
1st
conjugation
2nd conjugation
3rd/3rd io
conjugation
4th
conjugation
-ari -ēri -i -iri

8. Present Tense
• The present tense of a deponent is the same as a
regular verb with passive endings:
conari vereri loqui regredi experiri
conor vereor loquor regredior experior
conaris vereris loqueris regrederis experiris
conatur veretur loquitur regreditur experitur
conamur veremur loquimur regredimur experimur
conamini veremini loquimini regredimini experimini
conantur verentur loquuntur regrediuntur experiuntur

9. Imperfect Tense
• Again, making a deponent verb imperfect is the same
as making an active verb passive:
conari vereri loqui regredi experiri
conabar verebar loquebar regrediebar experiebar
conabaris verebaris loquebaris regrediebaris experiebaris
conabatur verebatur loquebatur regrediebatur exerpiebatur

10. Future Tense
• And again – deponents in the future are the same as
active verbs becoming passive:
conari vereri loqui regredi experiri
conabor verebor loquar regrediar experiar
conaberis vereberis loqueris regredieris experieris
conabitur verebitur loquetur regredietur experietur

11. Perfect System
• Use the third principal part with a form of sum . . .
remember, this is part adjective, so make sure it
agrees:
conari vereri loqui regredi experiri
conatus
sum
veritus
sum
locutus
sum
regressus
sum
expertus
sum
conatus
eram
veritus
eram
locutus
eram
regressus
eram
expertus
eram
conatus
ero
veritus
ero
locutus
ero
regressus
ero
expertus
ero

12. Participles
• Present participles are formed like their active
counterparts
• Perfect participles are the third part (without
the sum) . . . the translation is ‘having ____ed’
conari vereri loqui regredi experiri
conans verens loquens regrediens experiens

13. Exercise 20.5
1. patrem iuuare conabimur.
2. eum ad agrum secuti sumus.
3. in uia cum amicis diu colloquebar.
4. agrum ingressus patrem uocaui.
5. in agro diu morabar.
6. uespere domum profectus sum.

14. Present Passive Infinitive
• Use the second principal part of deponent
verbs to create the passive infinitive of
ordinary verbs
1st 2nd 3rd 3rd io 4th
-ari -eri -i -i -iri
parari moneri regi capi audiri
to be
prepared
to be warned to be ruled
to be
captured
to be heard

15. Exercise 20.6 #1-8
1. sequimur
2. sequemur
3. sequamur
4. sequi
5. secuti sumus
6. sequebaris
7. sequerentur
8. sequentes
a. we will follow
b. You were following
c. to follow
d. following
e. we have followed
f. we follow
g. They might follow
h. we may follow

16. Passive Imperatives
• Singular imperatives mirror present infinitives
• Plural imperatives mirror the 2nd person plural
personal ending
• Rarely used with ordinary verbs, for
deponents translate just like an imperative
1st 2nd 3rd 3rd io 4th
conare uerere sequere patere orire
conamini ueremini sequimini patimini orimini

17. Exercise 20.8, #1
• moneo, monere, monui, monitus

18. Remember . . .

19. Exercise Translations
20.5.1: We will try to help father.
20.5.2: We followed him to the field.
20.5.3: I was talking in the street with friends for
a long time.
20.5.4: I, having entered the field, called father.
20.5.5: I was delaying in the field for a long time.
20.5.6: I set out to home in the evening.