The subjunctive mood has no future or future perfect tense, only the other four tenses. We will learn the present and imperfect in this lesson and the perfect and pluperfect in the next lesson.

In the first conjugation, we form the subjunctive by replacing the distinctive -a- of the stem with -ē-, and adding the usual personal endings:

If you compare that to the indicative mood forms that we've already learned, you'll see they are exactly the same except for the -ā- changing to -ē-, and the -ō ending of the first person singular changing to -m.

In the other conjugations, it's almost the opposite. There, -ā- is added after the stem, and then the normal endings added. First, let's see the active forms side-by-side:

And then the passive is the same, with the passive endings:

As you can see, it's really pretty simple, and there's not much new to learn here. The important thing is always knowing which conjugation a verb belongs to, so when you see amet, you know that's subjunctive, because you know amo is first conjugation. When you see regat, if you don't know that's a third conjugation verb, you might think it's a first conjugation verb in the indicative mood. As long as you know what conjugation a verb belongs to, it's easy to spot the subjunctive: either a first conjugation verb with -ē- in it, or a verb of another conjugation with -a- in it.

There is one exception: in the first person singular of the third and fourth conjugation (regam, capiam, audiam), you may notice these are the same as the indicative future forms (I will rule, I will take, I will listen). Whether it is indicative future or subjunctive present should always be clear from the context.

We form the imperfect tense of the subjunctive mood by adding the personal endings to the present infintive (the second principal part). This is the same for all conjugations. The active:

And the passive:

So when you see something that looks like an infinitive with an ending stuck on it, you're probably looking at the imperfect subjunctive.

The present tense of sum is irregular, but not drastically so. It's the stem sī- and the personal endings:

The imperfect of sum is completely regular: the infinitive form esse and the personal endings:

Remember that sum has no passive forms.

We have already learned the indicative mood, used to make statements and ask questions, and the imperative mood, used for giving commands. Now we will learn the final mood, the subjunctive, which is used to describe potential or wished-for actions, things which may or may not happen.

The subjunctive is very rarely used in English (and even more rarely used correctly). A couple examples of it:

• If I were a rich man…
• He should wear a coat, lest he catch cold.

Normally it would be “I am a rich man” and “he catches cold,” but the verb changes for the subjunctive. Again, this is rare in English. Latin uses the subjunctive far more than English does, so often we can't translate it literally into English and have to find another way to express the meaning. All of the following would use the subjunctive in Latin:

• If we go to the party, it will be fun.
• Let us pray.
• He went home to get his hat.

All three sentences describe something that may or may not happen, a possible or wished-for action, so they will require the subjunctive. We'll learn these and other various uses of the subjunctive one at a time, but that sense of potential or unreal action lies behind them all.

This is sometimes called the “jussive” subjunctive, from the verb jubere, to order, because it describes something we command to happen. Direct commands given to a person or persons are usually translated by the imperative, as we've already learned, so we normally won't see the subjunctive used in the second person to give commands. But when the command is given to ourselves (we) or someone or something in the third person, the subjunctive is used.

• Orate! - Pray! (imperative)
• Oremus. - Let us pray.
• Veniat. - Let him come. May he come.
• Deus laudetur. - Let God be praised. May God be praised. God be praised!

The negative of the hortatory subjunctive is nē:

• Ne bellum veniat. - May war not come.

• agnus, -ī, m., lamb
• anima, -ae, f., soul, spirit
• animus, -ī, m., mind
• apostolus, -ī, m., apostle
• Christus, -ī, m., Christ
• evangelium, -ī, n., gospel
• famula, -ae, f., handmaid, maid
• famulus, -ī, m., servant
• mundus, -ī, m., world
• mystērium, -ī, n., secret, mystery
• Paulus, -ī, m., Paul
• peccātum, -ī, n., sin
• Petrus, -ī, m., Peter
• remedium, -ī, n., remedy, cure
• sacrāmentum, -ī, n., sacrament, guarantee

• aeternus, -a, -um, eternal
• apostolicus, -a, -um, apostolic
• vērus, -a, -um, true

• accēdō, accēdere, accessī, accessum, (usually with ad + accusative) to approach, draw near to
• benedīcō, benedīcere, benedīxī, benedīctum, to bless
• dīligō, dīligere, dīlēxī, dīlēctum, to exteem, value, love
• legō, legere, lēgī, lēctum, to read, recite, gather, pick up
• tollō, tollere, sustulī, sublātum, to lift, raise, pick up
• vādō, vādere, vāsī, —-, to go, make one's way, advance

• ecce (interjection) behold!, look!

Beginning with the previous lesson, I'm going through my Missal Latin book from the beginning and getting any vocabulary words we haven't seen yet. Some of these didn't exist in Classical Latin, and some took on different meanings in religious writings than they had before. For instance, in Classical Latin, sacramentum meant a guarantee or warranty in the secular sense. In Church usage, that evolved into the Sacraments as we know them.

Ecce was followed by the accusative in early Latin, but by the time of Christ it was usually followed by the nominative. In the Mass, the priest says, “Ecce, Agnus Dei,” meaning, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” In early Latin, that would have been, “Ecce Agnum Dei,” as in, “Behold the Lamb of God.” They have the same meaning in English, just a different way of putting it in Latin. You may see either usage depending on the time period of the writing.

1. Let's not go with Peter's servants.
2. And I prayed: “May my son always be held by the hands of the Lord.”
3. The farmer's son was told to go to Rome by Paul.
4. Let us always read the epistle of Paul and the gospel.
5. Let all children be loved by their mothers and fathers.
6. After the attack on our town, we saw that the grain supply had been taken.
7. May Paul be blessed with the sacrament.
8. Peter will often sleep until noon after a long journey.
9. Let us pray for a good summer.
10. Helping the poor is a good work.

Lavabo¹⁾ inter innocentes²⁾ manus meas: et circumdabo³⁾ altare⁴⁾ tuum, Domine. Ut audiam vocem laudis: et enarrem⁵⁾ universa⁶⁾ mirabilia⁷⁾ tua. Domine, dilexi decorem⁸⁾ domus tuae: et locum habitationis⁹⁾ gloriae tuae.

“Mulier¹⁰⁾, ecce filius tuus; et tu, ecce mater tua!”

Find a related word in English for each word in the vocabulary:

Personally, I think the subjunctive is where learning Latin gets serious, because it's used so rarely in English. Up until now, we could just translate literally word for word like a computer translator and get something that makes sense. But now we're getting to the point where we'll need to do real translation, looking for the meaning of the words and coming up with the best way to say that in English. It's more challenging, but also more satisfying. Next lesson we'll see the other two tenses of the subjunctive and more uses for it.

1. Let's not go with Peter's servants. - Ne cum famulis Petri vadamus.
2. And I prayed: “May my son always be held by the hands of the Lord.” - Et oravi: “Meus filius manibus Domini semper habeat.
3. The farmer's son was told to go to Rome by Paul. - Filius agricolae a Paulo dictus est vadere ad Romam.
4. Let us always read the epistle of Paul and the gospel. - Epistulam Pauli et evangelium semper legamus.
5. Let all children be loved by their mothers and fathers. - Pueri a matribus et patribus diligantur.
6. After the attack on our town, we saw that the grain supply had been taken. - Post impetum in oppidum nostrum vidimus rem frumentariam captam esse.
7. May Paul be blessed with the sacrament. - Paulus sacramento benedicatur.
8. Peter will often sleep until noon after a long journey. - Petrus in meridiem post iter longum saepe dormiet.
9. Let us pray for a good summer. - Oremus bonam aestatem.
10. Helping the poor is a good work. - Adjuvare miseros est opus bonum.

Lavabo inter innocentes manus meas: et circumdabo altare tuum, Domine. Ut audiam vocem laudis: et enarrem universa mirabilia tua. Domine, dilexi decorem domus tuae: et locum habitationis gloriae tuae.

I will wash my hands among the innocent, and I will encompass Thine altar, O Lord. That I may hear the voice of (Thy) praise, and tell of all Thy wondrous things. O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house, and the place of dwelling of Thy glory. ¹¹⁾

“Mulier, ecce filius tuus; et tu, ecce mater tua!”

Woman, behold your son; and you, behold your mother!

Find a related word in English for each word in the vocabulary:

• agnus, -ī, m., ??
• anima, -ae, f., animate, anima
• animus, -ī, m., (see anima)
• apostolus, -ī, m., apostle
• Christus, -ī, m., Christ
• evangelium, -ī, n., evangelist
• famula, -ae, f., family
• famulus, -ī, m., (see famula)
• mundus, -ī, m., mundane
• mystērium, -ī, n., mystery
• Paulus, -ī, m., Paul
• peccātum, -ī, n., peccadillo
• Petrus, -ī, m., Peter
• remedium, -ī, n., remedy
• sacrāmentum, -ī, n., sacrament

• aeternus, -a, -um, eternal
• apostolicus, -a, -um, apostolic
• vērus, -a, -um, verify

• accēdō, accēdere, accessī, accessum, access, accede
• benedīcō, benedīcere, benedīxī, benedīctum, benediction
• dīligō, dīligere, dīlēxī, dīlēctum, diligent
• legō, legere, lēgī, lēctum, legible, lecture
• tollō, tollere, sustulī, sublātum, extoll
• vādō, vādere, vāsī, —-, invade

• ecce (interjection) ??