The passive voice is much simpler in the perfect system (the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses) than in the present system that we learned in the last lesson. All four conjugations are handled exactly the same way, and we've already learned the pieces that make it up, so we don't have to learn any new endings or forms.

The passive of the perfect system actually works very much like it does in English. Instead of adding special endings to the verb, we take the perfect passive participle—the fourth principal part we've been learning for each verb—and combine it with a form of the verb sum. For example:

• Vocatus sum. - I was called; I have been called.
• Frumentum portatum est. - The grain was carried.
• Feminae convocatae sunt. - The women were assembled.

(If you're like me, you haven't really been learning that fourth principle part very well, since we haven't used it. Now it'll be time to look back and refresh our memory on those as we use them.)

Note that the participle and the verb sum both agree with the subject. Sum agrees in person and number, like a verb always does, and the participle agrees in number, gender, and case, just like an adjective. (The case will always be nominative, since it's agreeing with the subject of the sentence.) If you're thinking that a participle looks like an adjective, you're right. The perfect passive participle is declined like a first and second declension adjective, and if you happened to confuse it for an adjective once in a while, it'll probably still make sense.

• Gravis sum. - I am heavy. (adjective)
• Vocatus sum. - I was called. (perfect passive)

There's one difference from English that you have to get used to. Since the perfect passive participle already carried the sense of the “past tense,” Latin combines it with sum in the present tense to make the perfect form.

• Vocatus sum. - I was called.

If you tried to translate those two words literally, you might say “I am called.” But since vocatus is the perfect passive participle, it indicates the past tense, so you would say something like “I am having been called,” which sounds like nonsense, so in English we move the past tense to the other part and turn “am” into “was.”

The same thing happens in the other two tenses of the perfect system. To form the pluperfect, we add the perfect passive participle and the imperfect form of the verb sum. (I think of it as sort of doubling-up on the past tense.)

• Vocatus eram. - I had been called.
• Feminae vocatae erant. - The women had been called.
• Visus, Marce, eras. - Marcus, you had been seen.

Note in the last one that eras is second person singular, because I'm speaking to Marcus. Again, the form of sum matches the subject (in this case, the implied subject “you”) in person and number, while the perfect passive participle matches it in number and gender.

You might be able to guess how we form the future perfect passive at this point. We comine that same perfect passive participle with the future form of sum.

• Vocatus ero. - I will have been called.
• Naves captae erunt. - The ships will have been captured.
• Vocati, pueri, eritis. - Boys, you will have been called.

To review the combinations:

If you just remember that the perfect passive participle provides the past tense, and the form of sum that you use either adds more past tense to it (erat→pluperfect), adds the future to it (ero→future perfect), or leaves it alone (sum→perfect), you'll do fine with these.

When a verb is in the passive, the person performing the action of the verb is placed in the ablative with the preposition ā/ab. The general meaning of ā/ab is “from,” so it shows from whom the action is coming, but it's usually best translated in English as “by.”

• Feminae a Marco vocatae sunt. - The women were called by Marcus.
• Julius est pater. Ab eo saepe laudar. - Julius is my father. I am often praised by him.

• dēbeō, dēbēre, dēbuī, dēbitum, owe,ought
• doceō, docēre, docuī, doctum, teach, show
• prohibeō, prohibēre, prohibuī, probibitum, prevent, keep from
• respondeō, respondēre, respondī, respōnsum, reply, answer
• retineō, retinēre, retinuī, retentum, hold back
• terreō, terrēre, terruī, territum, frighten

We've seen these verb prefixes before, but they can be added to many verbs to produce a new word with a related meaning. Prō- adds the meaning forward, for, in front. It is sometimes spelled por- to combine better with the verb.

• prohibeō → pro + habeō → hold in front of → block, prevent, keep from (something)
• proclāmō → pro + clāmō → shout forth → proclaim
• prōmoveō → pro + moveō → move forward → advance
• prōvocō → pro + vocō → call forward → challenge

Re- has the meaning back, against, or again. It sometimes becomes red- to aid in pronunciation.

• remaneō → re + maneō → stay behind → remain
• removeō → re + moveō → move back → retreat
• reportō → re + portō → carry back
• repugnō → re + pugnō → fight against
• revocō → re + vocō → call back → call off, recall

1. Pueri parvi a milite magno qui clamavit territi sunt.
2. Hostes montibus altis multos annos retenti erant.
3. Many gifts were given to the queen who was loved by the people.
4. Navigaturne flumen celere a multis nautis?
5. Victoria nostra voce magna post proelium proclamabitur.
6. Cras navis mea bene parata erit et ad Italiam navigabo.
7. Canis amicus magna cum diligentia a puella parva habitus est.
8. Equi in magnum agrum ad silvam moti sunt.
9. Populus Romanus a multis regibus ante Caesarem ductus est.
10. Ad Germaniam a fratre nostro missi sumus.

1. The horses were led back out of the field in the evening.
2. Men, you have been captured by the army of Caesar.
3. The large stones had been thrown together behind the farmhouse.
4. When you reach Spain, you will be received by your sister.
5. Our ship was driven away from the harbor by many great waves.
6. When I told my story in the middle of the crowd I was heard by everyone.
7. That bridge was built by my brothers.
8. Before the arrival of the king, we will have been assembled near the city's gate.
9. This is the boy who was found in the forest by the farmer.
10. Boys, be good, or you will be driven out of the house by your mother.

Give an English word derived from each Latin word in the vocabulary and word study sections.

This concludes the passive voice. It's a lot to take in in two lessons, but the perfect system is pretty simple, so the hardest part is learning those new endings for the present system from the last lesson. Next lesson we'll deal with infinitives, which are not conjugated, so no new personal endings to learn!

1. Pueri parvi a milite magno qui clamavit territi sunt. - The small boys were frightened by the large soldier who shouted.
2. Hostes montibus altis multos annos retenti erant. - The enemy had been held back for many years by the high mountains.
3. Many gifts were given to the queen who was loved by the people. - Multa dona reginae quae populus amata est data sunt.
4. Navigaturne flumen celere a multis nautis? - Is the swift river navigated by many sailors?
5. Victoria nostra voce magna post proelium proclamabitur. - After the battle, our victory will be proclaimed with a great voice.
6. Cras navis mea bene parata erit et ad Italiam navigabo. - Tomorrow my ship will have been well prepared and I will sail for Italy.
7. Canis amicus magna cum diligentia a puella parva habitus est. - The friendly dog was held with great care by the little girl.
8. Equi in magnum agrum ad silvam moti sunt. - The horses were moved into the big field near the forest.
9. Populus Romanus a multis regibus ante Caesarem ductus est. - The Roman people were led by many kings before Caesar.
10. Ad Germaniam a fratre nostro missi sumus. - We were sent to Germany by our brother.

1. The horses were led back out of the field in the evening. - Equi ex agro multo die reducti sunt.
2. Men, you have been captured by the army of Caesar. - Ab exercitu Caesaris, viri, capti estis.
3. The large stones had been thrown together behind the farmhouse. - Lapides magni post villam coniecti erant.
4. When you reach Spain, you will be received by your sister. - Cum ad Hispaniam perveneras, a sorore accipieris.
5. Our ship was driven away from the harbor by many great waves. - Navis nostra multis et magnis fluctibus a portu acta est.
6. When I told my story in the middle of the crowd I was heard by everyone. - Cum fabulam meam in medio multitudine narravi ab omnis auditus sum.
7. That bridge was built by my brothers. - Ille pons a fratribus meis munitus est.
8. Before the arrival of the king, we will have been assembled near the city's gate. - Ante adventum regis ad portam urbis conventi erimus.
9. This is the boy who was found in the forest by the farmer. - Hic est puer qui in silva ab agricola inventus est.
10. Boys, be good, or you will be driven out of the house by your mother. - Es boni, pueri, aut ex domo a matre expellemini.

Give an English word derived from each Latin word in the vocabulary and word study sections.

• dēbeō, dēbēre, dēbuī, dēbitum, debt, debit
• doceō, docēre, docuī, doctum, doctor, document
• prohibeō, prohibēre, prohibuī, probibitum, prohibit
• respondeō, respondēre, respondī, respōnsum, respond, response
• retineō, retinēre, retinuī, retentum, retention, retain
• terreō, terrēre, terruī, territum, terror, terrify
• proclāmō, proclaim
• prōmoveō, promote
• prōvocō, provoke
• remaneō, remain
• removeō, remove
• reportō, report
• repugnō, repugnant
• revocō, revoke