Passive Voice in LatinPassive Voice in Latin

How is it formed?How is it formed?

What does it mean?What does it mean?

What does Passive Voice What does Passive Voice meanmean??

There are two “voices” in Latin (and There are two “voices” in Latin (and English): English): activeactive and and passivepassive

Active VoiceActive Voicethe SUBJECT performs the actionthe SUBJECT performs the action

Vir cibum portatVir cibum portat

(the subject, man,(the subject, man, is doing the carrying) is doing the carrying)

Passive VoicePassive Voicethe subject is being the subject is being acted or performed acted or performed uponupon

Cibus ā virō portāturCibus ā virō portātur

(the subject, food,(the subject, food, is being carried) is being carried)

In passive voice, the DOER/PERFORMER In passive voice, the DOER/PERFORMER of the action is called the ablative of of the action is called the ablative of personal agent, and it follows the personal agent, and it follows the preposition preposition āā or or abab..

Cibus Cibus ā servōā servō portātur. portātur.

(The doer of the action, the slave, is the (The doer of the action, the slave, is the personalpersonal “agent”, so we use ā before it) “agent”, so we use ā before it)

NONpersonal doers of action go into the NONpersonal doers of action go into the ablative of means WITHOUT a prepositionablative of means WITHOUT a preposition

Servus carrō portātur.Servus carrō portātur.

(The “doer” of the action is the cart)(The “doer” of the action is the cart)

How is Passive Voice Formed?How is Passive Voice Formed?

In present, imperfect, and future tenses, In present, imperfect, and future tenses, passive verbs use a different set of passive verbs use a different set of endings.endings.

The verb stem + standard vowel + The verb stem + standard vowel + personalpersonal passive endingspassive endings::

-r-r -mur-mur

-ris-ris -mini-mini

-tur-tur -ntur-ntur

Present tense, passivePresent tense, passive

-r-r -mur-mur

-ris-ris -mini-mini

-tur-tur -ntur-ntur

So, portō (“carry”, first conjugation) is So, portō (“carry”, first conjugation) is conjugated and translated as follows”conjugated and translated as follows”

portor (I am carried) portor (I am carried) portāmur (we are carried)portāmur (we are carried)

portāris (you are carried)portāris (you are carried) portāmini (you all are carried)portāmini (you all are carried)

portātur (he/she/it is carried)portātur (he/she/it is carried) portantur (they are carried)portantur (they are carried)

Present tense, passivePresent tense, passive

-r-r -mur-mur

-ris-ris -mini-mini

-tur-tur -ntur-ntur

…….and teneō (“hold”, second conjugation) is .and teneō (“hold”, second conjugation) is conjugated and translated as follows:conjugated and translated as follows:

teneor (I am held)teneor (I am held) tenēmur (we are held) tenēmur (we are held)

tenēris (you are held)tenēris (you are held) tenēmini (you all are held) tenēmini (you all are held)

tenētur (he/she/it is held)tenētur (he/she/it is held) tenentur (they are held) tenentur (they are held)

Imperfect tense, passiveImperfect tense, passive

In the imperfect tense, the same endings are In the imperfect tense, the same endings are used:used:

portābar (I was being carried)portābar (I was being carried) portābāmur (we were being portābāmur (we were being carried)carried)

……..etc...etc.

and………and………

tenēbar (I was being held) tenēbāmur (we were being held)tenēbar (I was being held) tenēbāmur (we were being held)

……..etc...etc.

Future tense, passiveFuture tense, passive

The future tense, passive of first and second The future tense, passive of first and second conjugation verbs is formed in a similar conjugation verbs is formed in a similar way:way:

Portābor (I will be carried)Portābor (I will be carried) portābimur (we will be carried) portābimur (we will be carried)

PortābPortābeerisris …..etc. …..etc.PortābiturPortābitur

Tenēbor (I will be held)Tenēbor (I will be held) tenēbimur (we will be held) tenēbimur (we will be held)

TenēbTenēbeerisris …..etc.…..etc.TenēbiturTenēbitur

……………….but, .but, rememberremember::

Future tense, passive, cont.Future tense, passive, cont.

…………just as in active voice, the just as in active voice, the thirdthird and and fourthfourth conjugations, future passive, is a conjugations, future passive, is a little DIFFERENT (no little DIFFERENT (no –bor, -beris–bor, -beris, etc.):, etc.):

mittar (I will be sent)mittar (I will be sent) mittēmur (we will be sent) mittēmur (we will be sent)

mittēris (you will be sent)mittēris (you will be sent) mittēmini (you all will be sent) mittēmini (you all will be sent)

mittētur (he/she/it will be sent)mittētur (he/she/it will be sent) mittentur (they will be sent) mittentur (they will be sent)

… …andand

audiar(I will be heard)audiar(I will be heard) audiēmur (we will be heard) audiēmur (we will be heard)

…….etc..etc.

Active to PassiveActive to Passive

When changing an “active” sentence into When changing an “active” sentence into “passive” voice, remember this:“passive” voice, remember this:The The direct objectdirect object of the of the activeactive sentence sentence becomes the becomes the subjectsubject of the of the passivepassive sentence.sentence.The The subjectsubject of the of the activeactive sentence sentence becomes the becomes the agentagent (either personal or (either personal or non-personal) of the non-personal) of the passivepassive sentence. sentence.

Active to PassiveActive to Passive

Example:Example:

(Active) Servus portat cibum.(Active) Servus portat cibum.

(Passive) Cibus portātur ā servō.(Passive) Cibus portātur ā servō.

The original The original direct objectdirect object (cibum) becomes the (cibum) becomes the subjectsubject (Cibus) of the (Cibus) of the passivepassive sentence. sentence.

The original The original subjectsubject (Servus) becomes the (Servus) becomes the [personal] [personal] agentagent (ā servō) of the (ā servō) of the passivepassive sentence.sentence.

End Lesson 27End Lesson 27

Perfect, Pluperfect and Future Perfect, Pluperfect and Future Perfect Tenses -- PassivePerfect Tenses -- Passive

Good News: the perfect, pluperfect and future Good News: the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect tenses are VERY easy to form.perfect tenses are VERY easy to form.

First of all, you use the proper** form of the perfect First of all, you use the proper** form of the perfect passive participle (4passive participle (4thth principal part.) principal part.)

**proper form means masculine, feminine or **proper form means masculine, feminine or neuter, singular or plural, depending on the neuter, singular or plural, depending on the gender and number of the subject……….gender and number of the subject……….

………………..in other words, ..in other words,

if the subject is masculine/singular, you if the subject is masculine/singular, you use (eg) portātus (4use (eg) portātus (4thth principal part of principal part of PORTŌ, masculine singular form)PORTŌ, masculine singular form)

if the subject is feminine/plural, you use if the subject is feminine/plural, you use (eg) portātae (feminine plural form)(eg) portātae (feminine plural form)

…………and so on.and so on.

Perfect Passive FormsPerfect Passive Forms

For the perfect passive forms of the verb, For the perfect passive forms of the verb, you use the proper form of the perfect you use the proper form of the perfect passive participle + sum, es, est, sumus, passive participle + sum, es, est, sumus, estis, suntestis, sunt

portātus (or portāta if I’m female) sum (I have been carried)portātus (or portāta if I’m female) sum (I have been carried)

portātus (or portāta if you’re female) es (You have been carried)portātus (or portāta if you’re female) es (You have been carried)

portātus est (He has been carried)portātus est (He has been carried)

portāta est (She has been carried)portāta est (She has been carried)

portātum est (It has been carriedportātum est (It has been carried

Perfect passive, plural formsPerfect passive, plural forms

………….and the plural is formed in a similar .and the plural is formed in a similar way:way:

portāti (or portātae if we’re all females) sumus (We have been carried)portāti (or portātae if we’re all females) sumus (We have been carried)

portāti (or portātae if you’re all females) estis (You all have been portāti (or portātae if you’re all females) estis (You all have been carried)carried)

portāti sunt (They have been carried –masculine or mixed company)portāti sunt (They have been carried –masculine or mixed company)

portātae sunt (They have been carried – feminine)portātae sunt (They have been carried – feminine)

portāta sunt (They have been carried – neuter)portāta sunt (They have been carried – neuter)

Pluperfect Passive FormsPluperfect Passive Forms

For the pluperfect passive forms of the verb, For the pluperfect passive forms of the verb, you use the proper form of the perfect you use the proper form of the perfect passive participle + eram, eras, erat, passive participle + eram, eras, erat, eramus, eratis, eranteramus, eratis, erant

portātus (or portāta if I’m female) eram (I had been carried)portātus (or portāta if I’m female) eram (I had been carried)

portātus (or portāta if you’re female) eras (You had been carried)portātus (or portāta if you’re female) eras (You had been carried)

portātus erat (He had been carried)portātus erat (He had been carried)

portāta erat (She had been carried)portāta erat (She had been carried)

portātum erat (It had been carriedportātum erat (It had been carried

Pluperfect passive, plural formsPluperfect passive, plural forms

………….and the plural is formed in a similar .and the plural is formed in a similar way:way:

portāti (or portātae if we’re all females) eramus (We had been carried)portāti (or portātae if we’re all females) eramus (We had been carried)

portāti (or portātae if you’re all females) eratis (You all had been portāti (or portātae if you’re all females) eratis (You all had been carried)carried)

portāti erant (They had been carried –masculine or mixed company)portāti erant (They had been carried –masculine or mixed company)

portātae erant (They had been carried – feminine)portātae erant (They had been carried – feminine)

portāta erant (They had been carried – neuter)portāta erant (They had been carried – neuter)

Future perfect Passive FormsFuture perfect Passive Forms

For the future perfect passive forms of the For the future perfect passive forms of the verb, you use the proper form of the verb, you use the proper form of the perfect passive participle + ero, eris, erit, perfect passive participle + ero, eris, erit, erimus, eritis, erunterimus, eritis, erunt

portātus (or portāta if I’m female) ero (I will have been carried)portātus (or portāta if I’m female) ero (I will have been carried)

portātus (or portāta if you’re female) eris (You will have been carried)portātus (or portāta if you’re female) eris (You will have been carried)

portātus erit (He will have been carried)portātus erit (He will have been carried)

portāta erit (She will have been carried)portāta erit (She will have been carried)

portātum erit (It will have been carriedportātum erit (It will have been carried

Future perfect passive, plural formsFuture perfect passive, plural forms

………….and the plural is formed in a similar .and the plural is formed in a similar way:way:

portāti (or portātae if we’re all females) erimus (We will have been portāti (or portātae if we’re all females) erimus (We will have been carried)carried)

portāti (or portātae if you’re all females) eritis (You all will have been portāti (or portātae if you’re all females) eritis (You all will have been carried)carried)

portāti erunt (They will have been carried –masculine or mixed portāti erunt (They will have been carried –masculine or mixed company)company)

portātae erunt (They will have been carried – feminine)portātae erunt (They will have been carried – feminine)

portāta erunt (They will have been carried – neuter)portāta erunt (They will have been carried – neuter)

Some ExamplesSome Examples

Cista movēta est.Cista movēta est.

Epistulae mīsae erant.Epistulae mīsae erant.

Servus portātus erit.Servus portātus erit.

Plaustra audīta sunt.Plaustra audīta sunt.