INTRODUCTION TO VERBS

LINKING VERB To be, am, is, are, was, were, will be, etc. Irregular in every language No action; a state of being Links a subject to a predicate adjective (She is pretty), or a predicate nominative (They are my brothers; I will be the best Latin student ever!; my grandfather was an astronaut)

Singular Plural 1st Person sum - I am sumus -we are 2nd Person es -you are estis -you (plural-y’all) are 3rd Person est -he/she/it is sunt -they are

Latin English Latin English Singular Plural Latin English Latin English 1st Person eram - I was erāmus -we were 2nd Person erās -you were erātis -you (plural-y’all) were 3rd Person erat -he/she/it was erant -they were

Singular Plural 1st Person erō - I will be erimus -we will be 2nd Person eris -you will be eritis -you (plural-y’all) will be 3rd Person erit -he/she/it will be erunt -they will be

Infinitive An infinitive is what you get in English when you put “to” in front of a verb The infinitive of the linking verb is “to be”. In Latin it is esse

Giving the forms of a verb like this is called conjugating a verb. I __ we__ You __ y’all__ He/she/it___ they __

Subjects of Latin verbs In Latin, if the subject of a verb is a pronoun---I, you (singular), he, she it, we, ya’ll/you all, (plural), they---it isn’t usually expressed. It is actually a part of the verb! The verb ending tells the subject. However, there are pronouns, and they can be used for special emphasis. (I) Ego sum (We) Nōs sumus (You) Tū es (Y’all) Vōs estis (He/she/it) Is/Ea/Id est (They) Eī/Eae/Ea sunt. For example: Ego sum gladiator! I am a gladiator! Tū es senator! You are a senator!

Sum Venus. Es fungus. Sunt gladiatōrēs. Sumus senatōrēs Est spectator. Erat virgō. Estis geminī. Eram leō. Erant leōnēs. Erit peninsula. Erāmus impostōrēs Erō cancer. Erimus oratorēs Est dictator.

Practice this dialogue with a partner: (A)Salvē! (B)Salvē! (A)Quis es? (B)Sum _____________, nomine __________. Quis (who) es? (A)Sum _____________, nomine _____________. (B)Valē! (A) Valē! Puella, -ae (f)=girl; Puer, -ī (m)=boy; monstrum (n)=monster; canis (m)=dog; feles(f): cat;

More about Latin verbs s you mus we Latin verbs have endings that tell us something about the subject of the verb. Ending Subject is ō or m I s you t he/she/it or any singular noun mus we tis you plural/y’all nt they/plural noun

Verb Conjugation Singular Plural Latin English Latin English 1st Person amō - I love amāmus -we love 2nd Person amās -you love amātis-you (plural-y’all) love 3rd Person amat -he/she/it loves amant -they love

Verb Conjugation Singular Plural Latin English Latin English 1st Person videō - I see vidēmus -we see 2nd Person vidēs -you see vidētis-you (plural-y’all) see 3rd Person videt -he/she/it sees vident -they see