Lesson 16: The Perfect Passive and Pluperfect
Perfect passive with PPP + esse, pluperfect active and passive, future perfect active, and Latin temporal sequence.
Overview
Latin uses compound tenses to express completed action in the passive voice and action prior to another past action. These compound tenses are built from participles + forms of esse. Understanding these tenses requires knowing: (1) the perfect passive participle (PPP = 4th principal part), and (2) forms of esse in present, imperfect, and future.
1. The Perfect Passive Participle (PPP)
The PPP is the 4th principal part of a verb. It is a verbal adjective declining like bonus/bona/bonum (1st/2nd declension). It agrees with the subject of the passive verb in gender, number, and case.
| Verb | 4th principal part | PPP (M/F/N nom. sg.) |
|---|---|---|
| amō, amāre, amāvī, amātum | amātum | amātus/a/um |
| moneō, monēre, monuī, monitum | monitum | monitus/a/um |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductum | ductum | ductus/a/um |
| capiō, capere, cēpī, captum | captum | captus/a/um |
| audiō, audīre, audīvī, audītum | audītum | audītus/a/um |
2. Perfect Passive Indicative
Formation: PPP (agreeing with subject) + present tense of esse
| Person | M subject | F subject | N subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 sg. | amātus sum | amāta sum | amātum sum |
| 2 sg. | amātus es | amāta es | amātum es |
| 3 sg. | amātus est | amāta est | amātum est |
| 1 pl. | amātī sumus | amātae sumus | amāta sumus |
| 2 pl. | amātī estis | amātae estis | amāta estis |
| 3 pl. | amātī sunt | amātae sunt | amāta sunt |
Translation: amātus est = he was loved / he has been loved.
Agreement examples:
- Puella laudāta est. — The girl was praised. (laudāta: F. sg.)
- Mīlitēs victī sunt. — The soldiers were defeated. (victī: M. pl.)
- Oppida capta sunt. — The towns were captured. (capta: N. pl.)
3. Pluperfect Active Indicative
The pluperfect expresses an action completed before another past action ("had done"). English often uses "had + past participle."
Formation: Perfect stem (3rd principal part minus final -ī) + -era- + personal endings
| Person | amō (amāv-) | moneō (monu-) | dūcō (dūx-) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 sg. | amāveram | monueram | dūxeram |
| 2 sg. | amāverās | monuerās | dūxerās |
| 3 sg. | amāverat | monuerat | dūxerat |
| 1 pl. | amāverāmus | monuerāmus | dūxerāmus |
| 2 pl. | amāverātis | monuerātis | dūxerātis |
| 3 pl. | amāverant | monuerant | dūxerant |
4. Pluperfect Passive Indicative
Formation: PPP (agreeing with subject) + imperfect of esse (eram, erās, erat…)
| Person | M subject | F subject |
|---|---|---|
| 1 sg. | amātus eram | amāta eram |
| 2 sg. | amātus erās | amāta erās |
| 3 sg. | amātus erat | amāta erat |
| 1 pl. | amātī erāmus | amātae erāmus |
| 2 pl. | amātī erātis | amātae erātis |
| 3 pl. | amātī erant | amātae erant |
Translation: captus erat = he had been captured.
5. Future Perfect Active
The future perfect expresses an action that will have been completed before another future action. Common in subordinate clauses (cum, ubi, postquam + future reference).
Formation: Perfect stem + -er- + future endings (-ō, -is, -it, -imus, -itis, -int)
| Person | amō | dūcō |
|---|---|---|
| 1 sg. | amāverō | dūxerō |
| 2 sg. | amāveris | dūxeris |
| 3 sg. | amāverit | dūxerit |
| 1 pl. | amāverimus | dūxerimus |
| 2 pl. | amāveritis | dūxeritis |
| 3 pl. | amāverint | dūxerint |
Note: The 1st sg. -erō looks like a future of esse, but context makes it clear. The future perfect is often translated "shall have" or (in subordinate clauses) simply as a present or past depending on context.
6. Latin Temporal Sequence
| Tense | Relationship to reference point | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Future perfect | Will be completed before another future event | will have done |
| Perfect | Completed at the reference point | did / has done |
| Pluperfect | Completed before the reference point | had done |
Narrative example: Postquam mīlitēs oppidum cēperant (pluperfect), dux praemia dedit (perfect). After the soldiers had captured the town, the leader gave rewards.
The pluperfect (cēperant) shows the capturing happened first; the perfect (dedit) shows the giving happened next.
Key Vocabulary
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| capiō, capere, cēpī, captum | to take, capture |
| vincō, vincere, vīcī, victum | to conquer |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductum | to lead |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missum | to send |
| scrībō, scrībere, scrīpsī, scrīptum | to write |
| legō, legere, lēgī, lēctum | to read |
| postquam | after (conjunction) |
| ubi | when (conjunction) |
| iam | already, now |
| tum | then, at that time |
Example Sentences
- Puella ā magistrō laudāta est. — The girl was praised by the teacher.
- Urbs ab hostibus capta erat antequam auxilia vēnērunt. — The city had been captured by the enemy before help arrived.
- Mīlitēs quī fortiter pugnāverant praemia accēpērunt. — The soldiers who had fought bravely received rewards.
- Epistula scrīpta est. — The letter was written / has been written.
- Caesar Galliam vīcerat; tum Rōmam rediit. — Caesar had conquered Gaul; then he returned to Rome.
- Postquam discipulī librum lēgerant, magister quaesiit. — After the students had read the book, the teacher asked.
- Servi dimissī erant priusquam dominus rediit. — The slaves had been dismissed before the master returned.
- Cum Rōmam vēnerō, tē vidēbō. — When I shall have come to Rome, I will see you.
- Oppidum igne dēlētum est. — The town was destroyed by fire.
- Verbum dictum est. — The word has been spoken.
Practice
A. Form the correct compound tense:
- Perfect passive of legō (3rd sg., F. subject)
- Pluperfect active of vincō (1st pl.)
- Future perfect active of mittō (2nd sg.)
B. Translate:
- Epistulae missae erant.
- Oppidum captum erat.
- Ubi mīlitēs advēnerint, pugna incipiet.
C. Explain the temporal sequence in this sentence: Postquam Caesar Galliam vīcerat, Rōmam rediit.