The subjunctive mood expresses possibility. We do not often use it in English but it exists (e.g. if I were you). When translating subjunctives it is almost always necessary to use accompanying auxiliary verbs such as would, should or might.
H In main clauses (see Unit 1T) the subjunctive is not common but when it is found it expresses what is desired or regarded as possible and appears as one of the following types.
C The jussive subjunctive (negative: ne) in the 2nd and 3rd person is almost a command. Present and perfect tenses are used, e.g. caveat emptor let the buyer beware; ne transieris flumen do not cross the river; ne me vexes do not annoy me; petas aurum (please) seek the gold.
C The hortative subjunctive (negative: ne) in the 1st person expresses encouragement. The present tense is used, e.g.
meliora sequamur let us seek better things.
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Unit 9 Subjunctive verbs C The concessive subjunctive (negative: ne) expresses a
concession such as granted that or supposing that. Present or perfect tenses are used, e.g. celet pecuniam Titus supposing that Titus is hiding the money.
C The deliberative subjunctive (negative: non) is used for questions in which what ought to be done is uncertain.
Present and imperfect tenses are used, e.g. quid faciam? what am I to do?, quid agerem? what should I have done?
C The optative subjunctive (negative: ne) expresses wishes.
The present and perfect express a wish for the future, the imperfect a wish that something were so now and the pluperfect a wish that something had been so in the past.
They are often introduced by utinam would that / if only, e.g. di te servent may the gods preserve you; utinam haec diceres if only you were saying this (now); utinam id fecissem would that I had done it. The acclamation Vivat rex / regina! shouted at coronations is an example of the subjunctive in use: (Long) May the king / queen live!
C The potential subjunctive (negative: non) expresses something which has the potential to happen and may depend upon a condition, although that condition is not always present. The present and perfect tenses are used with reference to the present and future; the imperfect with reference to the past, e.g. quis audeat hoc facere? who would dare to do this? eum fortem esse putares you would have thought him to be brave.
velim I would like, nolim I would not like and malim I would prefer, are common examples of this subjunctive.
I In subordinate clauses (see Unit 1T) the subjunctive is more common and is found:
C In expressions of desire or will or condition which depend on another sentence, e.g. in indirect commands (see Unit 15O-Q) rogo te ut venias I ask you to come.
C As the prospective subjunctive to represent something as
anticipated rather than as a fact, e.g. manebimus dum periculum augeat? shall we remain until the danger may increase?
C With its meaning so weak that it reports actual facts, e.g. in result clauses (see Unit 14H) totiens rogavit ut adsentirem he asked me so many times that I consented.
C In indirect speech the verbs of subordinate clauses are in the subjunctive even if they were indicative in direct speech, except that in dum ( until) clauses in indirect speech the present indicative is kept.
The subjunctives in these exercises are in main clauses. The uses of the subjunctive in subordinate clauses is tested under each of the subordinate constructions.
1 Write out the present subjunctives, active or passive, of the following verbs.
e.g. the present subjunctive passive of sedeo sedear, sedearis, sedeatur, sedeamur, sedeamini, sedeantur
a the present subjunctive passive of facio b the present subjunctive active of seco c the present subjunctive active of rego d the present subjunctive passive of teneo e the present subjunctive active of moveo f the present subjunctive passive of capio g the present subjunctive passive of aperio h the present subjunctive active of cedo i the present subjunctive active of amo j the present subjunctive passive of video
2 Write out the imperfect subjunctives, active or passive, of the following verbs.
e.g. The imperfect subjunctive active of moneo monerem, moneres, moneret, moneremus, moneretis, monerent a the imperfect subjunctive passive of trado
b the imperfect subjunctive active of video c the imperfect subjunctive passive of rogo d the imperfect subjunctive active of verto e the imperfect subjunctive active of iacio f the imperfect subjunctive passive of sentio
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Unit 9 Subjunctive verbs
g the imperfect subjunctive active of iubeo h the imperfect subjunctive passive of duco i the imperfect subjunctive active of sto j the imperfect subjunctive active of frango
3 Write out the perfect subjunctives, active or passive, of the following verbs.
e.g. the perfect subjunctive active of gero gesserim, gesseris, gesserit, gesserimus, gesseritis, gesserint
a the perfect subjunctive passive of rideo b the perfect subjunctive active of ludo c the perfect subjunctive active of parco d the perfect subjunctive passive of cupio e the perfect subjunctive active of dormio f the perfect subjunctive passive of pugno g the perfect subjunctive passive of mitto h the perfect subjunctive active of suadeo i the perfect subjunctive passive of paro j the perfect subjunctive active of reperio
4 Write out the pluperfect subjunctives, active or passive, of the following verbs.
e.g. the pluperfect subjunctive active of ruo ruissem, ruisses, ruisset, ruissemus, ruissetis, ruissent
a the pluperfect subjunctive passive of relinquo b the pluperfect subjunctive active of deleo c the pluperfect subjunctive passive of laboro d the pluperfect subjunctive active of custodio e the pluperfect subjunctive active of accipio f the pluperfect subjunctive passive of pello g the pluperfect subjunctive active of dico h the pluperfect subjunctive passive of doceo i the pluperfect subjunctive active of claudo j the pluperfect subjunctive passive of sepelio
5 Translate the following into English. The subjunctives are jussive or hortative.
e.g. ne te mater inveniat do not let mother find you a portae aperiantur, o custodes.
b omnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori.
c cives, imperatorem victorem salutemus!
d ne canes excitaveris.
e quam laetissime vivamus!
f aprum venatores caveant.
g ne pugnetis in horto, pueri.
h nunc diligenter laboremus.
i appropinquent legati.
j Ciceronem audiamus.
6 Translate the following into English. The subjunctives are concessive or deliberative.
e.g. quotiens haec verba dicam? how often should I say these words?
a quo nunc veniamus?
b necaverit maritum Clodia.
c habitet monstrum in spelunca.
d quomodo tibi subvenirem?
e cur vobis faveamus?
f Caesarem timuerit Cassius.
g ubi villam aedificem?
h victa sit Britannia a Romanis.
i cur tot annos laborem?
j cui libros meos legem?
7 Translate the following into English. The subjunctives are optative or potential.
h quis Catilinam crederet?
i utinam Cato nunc viveret.
j malim equitare potius quam ambulare.
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Unit 9 Subjunctive verbs
8 Translate the following sentences into Latin.
e.g. let the contest be started certamen excitetur a Who would love the miser?
b Let us not walk to the shore.
c May you (s.) always sing beautifully.
d Do not let the old man hurt the horse.
e What should I say to the senator?
f Would that you (s.) had not killed the goose.
g Why would you (s.) have hidden the book?
h Let the general himself lead us.
i Let us depart from the forum.
j Granted that Caesar likes Antonius.
Points to remember
1 The present active subjunctive is formed by adding the letter -e- before the endings of the first conjugation and -a- before the endings of the other conjugations. The present passive subjunctive is formed as normal.
2 The imperfect active subjunctive is formed by adding the personal endings -m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt to the present active infinitive. The imperfect passive subjunctive is formed as normal.
3 The perfect active subjunctive is formed by adding -erim, -eris, -erit, -erimus, -eritis, -erint to the perfect stem. The perfect passive subjunctive is formed from the perfect participle and the present subjunctive of the verb to be.
4 The pluperfect active subjunctive is formed by adding -issem, -isses, -isset, -issemus, -issetis, -issent to the perfect stem. The pluperfect passive subjunctive is formed from the perfect participle and the imperfect subjunctive of the verb to be.
5 The subjunctive is a mood used to express anticipated or conditional actions, as opposed to the indicative mood, which makes statements which deal more with certainty.
6 In English we express the subjunctive using auxiliary verbs, such as may, might or would, e.g. May I see? Would I were elsewhere!
7 The subjunctive doesn’t often occur in main clauses and when it does, expresses what is desired or regarded as possible, e.g. vivat rex! Long live the king!
8 The following types of subjunctive are found in main clauses:
jussive, hortative, concessive, deliberative, optative and potential.
9 In subordinate clauses the subjunctive is much more common and although it usually expresses a desire, wish or condition, it can also be used where we in English would simply use an indicative.
10 To express a negative desire with the subjunctive, the word ne is used, e.g. ne dicatur Let it not be said.
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Unit 10 Verbal nouns and adjectives