THE PASSIVE VOICE

Table of contents

• 1 What is the passive voice?

• 2. The passive endings

• 3. First conjugation

• 4. Second conjugation

• 5. Third conjugation

• 6. Fourth conjugation

In the active voice, the subject

PERFORMS THE ACTION of

the verb.

Mures placentam portant.

(The mice carry the cake.)

In the passive voice, the subject is

ACTED UPON by the verb.

Placenta a muribus portatur.

(The cake is carried by the

mice.)

In Latin, there are special endings to

show that the verbs are in the passive voice!

First, let’s review the ACTIVE endings.

Present Active – “is verbing”

1st 2nd 3rd 3rd -io 4th

1 porto moneo ago capio audio

2 portas monēs agis capis audīs

3 portat monet agit capit audit

1 portamus monēmus agimus capimus audīmus

2 portatis monētis agitis capitis audītis

3 portant monent agunt capiunt audiunt

Imperfect Active – “was verbing”

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

1 mandābam tenēbam ducēbam feriēbam

2 mandābās tenēbās ducēbās feriēbās

3 mandābat tenēbat ducēbat feriēbat

1 mandābāmus tenēbāmus ducēbāmus feriēbāmus

2 mandābātis tenēbātis ducēbātis feriēbātis

3 mandābant tenēbant ducēbant feriēbant

Now we’ll look at the passive voice endings:

First conjugation

long “a” verbs

portare--passive voice

• portor

• portāris

• portātur

• portāmur

• portāmini

• portantur

Second conjugation

long “e” verbs

tenere--passive voice

• teneor

• tenēris

• tenētur

• tenēmur

• tenēmini

• tenentur

Third Conjugation

the short E verbs

ducere--passive voice• ducor

• duceris

• ducitur

• ducimur

• ducimini

• ducuntur

Third Conjugation

-io verbs

capere--passive voice

• capior

• caperis

• capitur

• capimur

• capimini

• capiuntur

Fourth Conjugation

long “i” verbs

audire--passive voice• audior

• audīris

• audītur

• audīmur

• audīmini

• audiuntur

Present Passive – “is being verbed”

1st 2nd 3rd 3rd -io 4th

1 portor moneor agor capior audior

2 portāris monēris ageris caperis audīris

3 portātur monētur agitur capitur audītur

1 portāmur monēmur agimur capimur audīmur

2 portāmini monēmini agimini capimini audīmini

3 portantur monentur aguntur capiuntur audiuntur

Imperfect Passive–“was being verbed”

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

1 mandābar tenēbar ducēbar feriēbar

2 mandābāris tenēbāris ducēbāris feriēbāris

3 mandābātur tenēbātur ducēbātur feriēbātur

1 mandābāmur tenēbāmur ducēbāmur feriēbāmur

2 mandābāmini tenēbāmini ducēbāmini feriēbāmini

3 mandābantur tenēbantur ducēbantur feriēbantur

Now, let’s look at some active

and passive verb situations:

Puella aquam potat.

Aqua a puella potatur.

Viri carmen cantant.

Carmen a viribus cantatur.

Vir panem vendit.

Panis a viro venditur

FINIS