Lesson 7: Imperfect and Future Tense Active

Form and use the imperfect (ongoing past) and future tenses for all four conjugations and esse.

latinnovicelesson

The Imperfect Tense

What the Imperfect Means

The imperfect (Latin imperfectum = "unfinished") expresses:

  • Ongoing or continuous past action: "I was loving," "she was ruling"
  • Habitual or repeated past action: "he used to warn," "they would sing every day"
  • Attempted action: "I was trying to take" (conative imperfect)

The imperfect is never a completed event. That is the job of the perfect tense (Lesson 9).

The Imperfect Sign: -bā-

The imperfect is formed by inserting -bā- (which shortens before -m and before -nt endings) between the present stem and the personal endings.

Formula: Present stem + bā/ba + personal endings (-m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt)

Imperfect Active: All Four Conjugations

1st Conjugation: amāre (stem: amā-)

Person Singular Plural
1st amābam amābāmus
2nd amābās amābātis
3rd amābat amābant

2nd Conjugation: monēre (stem: monē-)

Person Singular Plural
1st monēbam monēbāmus
2nd monēbās monēbātis
3rd monēbat monēbant

3rd Conjugation: regere (stem: reg-)

For 3rd conjugation, the connecting vowel -ē- appears before the -bā- sign: reg- + ē + bam = regēbam.

Person Singular Plural
1st regēbam regēbāmus
2nd regēbās regēbātis
3rd regēbat regēbant

3rd-io Conjugation: capere (stem: cap-)

Person Singular Plural
1st capiēbam capiēbāmus
2nd capiēbās capiēbātis
3rd capiēbat capiēbant

4th Conjugation: audīre (stem: audī-)

Person Singular Plural
1st audiēbam audiēbāmus
2nd audiēbās audiēbātis
3rd audiēbat audiēbant

Esse — Imperfect: eram

Person Singular Plural
1st eram erāmus
2nd erās erātis
3rd erat erant

The Future Tense

Two Different Future Formations

Latin has two different patterns for the future, depending on the conjugation:

  • 1st and 2nd conjugations: future sign -bi- (with variants -bō- in 1sg and -bu- in 3pl)
  • 3rd, 3rd-io, and 4th conjugations: future sign -a- (1sg) / -ē- (other persons)

This distinction is crucial — mixing them up is a common error.

Future Active: All Four Conjugations

1st Conjugation: amāre

Person Singular Plural
1st amābō amābimus
2nd amābis amābitis
3rd amābit amābunt

2nd Conjugation: monēre

Person Singular Plural
1st monēbō monēbimus
2nd monēbis monēbitis
3rd monēbit monēbunt

3rd Conjugation: regere

Person Singular Plural
1st regam regēmus
2nd regēs regētis
3rd reget regent

3rd-io Conjugation: capere

Person Singular Plural
1st capiam capiēmus
2nd capiēs capiētis
3rd capiet capient

4th Conjugation: audīre

Person Singular Plural
1st audiam audiēmus
2nd audiēs audiētis
3rd audiet audient

Esse — Future: erō

Person Singular Plural
1st erō erimus
2nd eris eritis
3rd erit erunt

Key Vocabulary

Latin Gen. Gender / Conj. Meaning
pugna pugnae f. fight, battle
pugnam — — (acc.)
pugnāre — 1st to fight
respondēre — 2nd to reply, respond
vincere — 3rd to conquer, win
scribere — 3rd to write
dormīre — 4th to sleep
semper — adv. always
saepe — adv. often
olim — adv. once, formerly; someday
mox — adv. soon
tandem — adv. at last, finally
iam — adv. now; already; soon (future)
nōn — adv. not

Ten Example Sentences — All Three Tenses Mixed

1. Puella silvam amābat.

  • amābat = imperfect 3rd sg. → Translation: The girl used to love the forest. / The girl was loving the forest.

2. Mīlitēs oppidum capiēbant.

  • capiēbant = imperfect 3rd pl., 3rd-io → Translation: The soldiers were capturing the town.

3. Magister saepe puerōs monēbat.

  • monēbat = imperfect 3rd sg., 2nd conj. (habitual) → Translation: The teacher often used to warn the boys.

4. Nōs erāmus agricolae; nunc cīvēs sumus.

  • erāmus = imperfect 1st pl. of esse; sumus = present
  • Translation: We were farmers; now we are citizens.

5. Mox rēx oppidum vincet.

  • vincet = future 3rd sg., 3rd conj. → Translation: Soon the king will conquer the town.

6. Nāvigābisne ad Rōmam?

  • Nāvigābis = future 2nd sg., 1st conj.; -ne = yes/no question particle
  • Translation: Will you sail to Rome?

7. Amīcī meī semper vērum dīcent.

  • dīcent = future 3rd pl., 3rd conj. → Translation: My friends will always speak the truth.

8. Dum puella canēbat, nauta dormīēbat.

  • canēbat = imperfect 3rd sg., 1st conj. (canere, to sing); dormīēbat = imperfect 3rd sg., 4th conj.
  • Translation: While the girl was singing, the sailor was sleeping.

9. Erimus Rōmae olim.

  • Erimus = future 1st pl. of esse
  • Translation: We will be at Rome someday.

10. Servī labōrābant; dominus dormiēbat.

  • Both imperfects, habitual/simultaneous past
  • Translation: The slaves were working; the master was sleeping.

Practice

A. Give the imperfect, all persons, of portāre: (1sg portābam → do 2sg, 3sg, 1pl, 2pl, 3pl)

B. Give the future, 3rd sg. only, for each verb:

  1. laudāre → ?
  2. vidēre → ?
  3. mittere → ?
  4. audīre → ?
  5. esse → ?

C. Translate:

  1. Agricola agrum colēbat.
  2. Fēminae carmina audient.
  3. Erāsne in Rōmā olim?
  4. The girls were carrying water to the town.
  5. The sailors will see the island soon.

Answer key B:

  1. laudābit | 2. vidēbit | 3. mittet | 4. audiet | 5. erit

Answer key C:

  1. The farmer was cultivating the field.
  2. The women will hear the songs.
  3. Were you (sg.) formerly in Rome?
  4. Puellae aquam ad oppidum portābant.
  5. Nautae insulam mox vidēbunt.

Summary

  • The imperfect (sign -bā-) expresses past ongoing, habitual, or attempted action.
  • The future has two patterns: -bi-/-bō-/-bu- for 1st/2nd conjugations; -a-/-ē- for 3rd/4th.
  • Esse imperfect: eram, erās, erat, erāmus, erātis, erant.
  • Esse future: erō, eris, erit, erimus, eritis, erunt.
  • Watch adverbs like olim, mox, semper, saepe — they often signal which tense to use.