DEPONENT VERBS

Deponent verbs are verbs which look passive but are actually active. Although they are translated as active verbs, they have no active form!

They can be recognised by their principal parts as they are all in passive form and there is no 4th principal part e.g. conor, conari, conatus sum

Here are all the deponent verbs to learn:

  • conor, conari, conatus sum (1st conjugation) = I try

  • egredior, egredi, egressus sum (3rd conjugation) = I go out

  • hortor, hortari, hortatus sum (1st conjugation) = I urge, encourage

  • ingredior, ingredi, ingressus sum (3rd conjugation) = I enter

  • loquor, loqui, locutus sum (3rd conjugation) = I speak

  • mirror, mirari, miratus sum (1st conjugation) = I wonder at, admire

  • morior, mori, mortuus sum (3rd conjugation) = I die

  • patior, pati, passus sum (3rd conjugation) - I suffer, endure

  • proficiscor, proficisci, profectus sum (3rd conjugation) = I set out

  • progredior, progredi, progressus sum (3rd conjugation) = I advance

  • regredior, regredi, regressus sum (3rd conjugation) = I go back, return

  • sequor, sequi, secutus sum (3rd conjugation) = I follow

  • videor, videri, visus sum (2nd conjugation) = I seem, appear

ACTIVE INDICATIVES

E.g conabitur = He will try (NOT He will be tried)

ACTIVE SUBJUNCTIVES

* Note, the infinitive stem of the imperfect subjunctive remains an active infinitive, not a passive form!

ACTIVE INFINITIVES:

Present Active - conari

Perfect Active - conatum esse

Future Active - conaturum esse

ACTIVE IMPERATIVES

2nd sg. - conare

2nd pl. - conamini

ACTIVE PARTICIPLES

Present - conans

Perfect/ Perfect passive - conatus

Future - conaturus

GERUNDIVE

= conandus

SEMI DEPONENT VERBS

Some verbs are only deponent in the perfect and pluperfect tenses - this makes them semi-deponent!

The present, imperfect and future tenses of these verbs are normal, but they have no passive forms at all.

Here are the 3 semi deponent verbs to learn:

  • audeo, audere, ausus sum = I dare

  • gaudeo. gaudere, gavisus sum = I rejoice

  • soleo, solere, solitus sum = I am accustomed

Thus…

Present active indicative = audeo etc.

Imperfect active indicative = audebam etc.

Future active indicative = audebo

But…

Perfect and Pluperfect active indicative:

Like deponent verbs, they look passive here but are in fact active!

Pluperfect Subjunctive:

Imperfect active subjunctive would be like normal - auderem etc.

Infinitives:

Present active - audere

Perfect active - ausum esse

Future active - ausurum esse

Imperatives:

Present imperative as normal - aude, audete

Active Participles:

Present - audens

Perfect - ausus

Future - ausurus

It is therefore important to learn the list of deponent and semi-deponent verbs so you know when it is passive or active!