MS: Lesson - The Latin Infinitive - Passive Voice, Regular Verbs

The Latin Infinitive - Passive Voice, Regular Verbs

The Latin infinitive is formed in three tenses: present, perfect and future. All three tenses can be formed in the passive voice.

Passive Infinitive Formation

Let's explore how the passive infinitive tenses are formed.

Passive Infinitive Formation
Information Present Passive Perfect Passive Future Passive
Formation Rules

The present passive infinitive is formed using the present stem

  • 1st/2nd/4th Conjugation: add -ri to the present stem
  • 3rd Conjugation: add -i to the present stem
  • 3rd-io Conjugation: use the present stem

The perfect passive infinitive is formed using the Latin perfect participle with the infinitive form esse.

Reminder: the perfect participle is the 4th PP with -us, -a, -um.

The future passive infinitive is quite rare, but it is used occasionally.

It is formed using a special form of the verb called the supine followed by the word iri.

The supine form of the verb is the 4th Principal Part, but ending in -um.
Translation

to + be + English past participle

 to + have been + English past participle to + be + about to be + English past participle
Example(s)

porto, portare, portavi, portatus

  • 1st Conjugation: obtain the present stem: porta- (portare - re)
    • Add -ri
  • Present Passive Infinitive: portari

duco, ducere, duxi, ductus

  • 3rd Conjugation: obtain the present stem: duc- (duco - o)
    • Add -i
  • Present Passive Infinitive: duci

capio, capere, cepi, captus

  • 3rd-io Conjugation: obtain the present stem: capi- (capio - o)
    • This is your infinitive:
  • Present Passive Infinitive: capi

porto, portare, portavi, portatus

  • Perfect Participle: portatus, portata, portatum
    • Add esse as a separate word.
  • Perfect Passive Infinitive: portatus, a, um esse

porto, portare, portavi, portatus

  • Form the supine: portatum
    • Add iri as a separate word.
  • Future Passive Infinitive: portatum iri

Regular Verbs - Passive Infinitive Review

To explore these infinitives, we will use the following example verbs:

  • porto, portare, portavi, portatus - to carry
  • video, videre, vidi, visus - to see
  • duco, ducere, duxi, ductus - to lead
  • capio, capere, cepi, captus - to take
  • audio, audire, audivi, auditus - to hear
Passive Infinitive Examples
Present Passive Perfect Passive Future Passive
  • portari - to be carried
  • videri - to be seen
  • duci - to be led
  • capi - to be taken
  • audiri - to be heard
  • portatus, a, um esse - to have been carried
  • visus, a, um esse - to have been seen
  • ductus, a, um esse - to have been led
  • captus, a, um esse - to have been taken
  • auditus, a, um esse - to have been heard
  • portatum iri - to be about to be carried
  • visum iri - to be about to be seen
  • ductum iri - to be about to be led
  • captum iri - to be about to be taken
  • auditum iri - to be about to be heard