Lesson 19: The Subjunctive Mood — Present and Imperfect
Formation of present and imperfect subjunctive for all conjugations, purpose clauses with ut/ne, indirect commands, and an introduction to sequence of tenses.
Overview
The subjunctive mood expresses actions that are not simply stated as facts (indicative) or commanded (imperative), but are subjective — possible, desired, feared, doubted, or subordinated to another clause. At novice level, you learn two tenses of the subjunctive (present and imperfect) and two main uses: purpose clauses (ut/nē) and indirect commands (iubeō/rogō/hortor + ut).
1. What the Subjunctive Expresses
The subjunctive is required in many Latin subordinate clauses, even when the English translation uses the indicative. It is not simply "doubt" or "uncertainty" in English terms — it is a grammatical requirement in specific clause types:
| Use | Trigger | Tense |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | ut / nē | present or imperfect |
| Indirect command | verb of ordering + ut / nē | present or imperfect |
| Result | ut / ut nōn | present or imperfect |
| Indirect question | question word + clause | present or imperfect |
| Cum-clauses (causal/concessive) | cum | imperfect or pluperfect |
This lesson focuses on the first two.
2. Present Subjunctive Formation
1st conjugation: Replace the theme vowel -ā- with -ē-:
| Person | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| 1 sg. | amem | amer |
| 2 sg. | amēs | amēris |
| 3 sg. | amet | amētur |
| 1 pl. | amēmus | amēmur |
| 2 pl. | amētis | amēminī |
| 3 pl. | ament | amentur |
Memory tip for 1st conjugation: "She (ē) beats all (the ā-forms become ē-forms)."
2nd, 3rd, 3rd-io, 4th conjugations: Add -ā- to the present stem (the -ā- inserts between stem and ending):
| 2nd (moneō) | 3rd (dūcō) | 3rd-io (capiō) | 4th (audiō) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | moneam | dūcam | capiam | audiam |
| 2sg | moneās | dūcās | capiās | audiās |
| 3sg | moneat | dūcat | capiat | audiat |
| 1pl | moneāmus | dūcāmus | capiāmus | audiāmus |
| 2pl | moneātis | dūcātis | capiātis | audiātis |
| 3pl | moneant | dūcant | capiant | audiant |
Esse in present subjunctive: sim, sīs, sit, sīmus, sītis, sint
3. Imperfect Subjunctive Formation
Rule: Take the present active infinitive (2nd principal part) and add the personal endings directly to it. This makes the imperfect subjunctive the easiest Latin form to construct — just recognize the infinitive.
| Infinitive | + endings | 1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| amāre | + m, -s, -t... | amārem | amārēs | amāret | amārēmus | amārētis | amārent |
| monēre | monērem | monērēs | monēret | monērēmus | monērētis | monērent | |
| dūcere | dūcerem | dūcerēs | dūceret | dūcerēmus | dūcerētis | dūcerent | |
| capere | caperem | caperēs | caperet | caperēmus | caperētis | caperent | |
| audīre | audīrem | audīrēs | audīret | audīrēmus | audīrētis | audīrent | |
| esse | essem | essēs | esset | essēmus | essētis | essent |
4. Purpose Clauses (ut / nē + subjunctive)
A purpose clause expresses the reason or goal of the main action. It is introduced by ut (positive: "in order that") or nē (negative: "in order that … not / lest").
Rule: Use present subjunctive when the main verb is in a primary tense (present, future, future perfect); use imperfect subjunctive when the main verb is in a secondary tense (imperfect, perfect, pluperfect).
| Main verb tense | Purpose clause tense |
|---|---|
| Present, Future | Present subjunctive |
| Imperfect, Perfect, Pluperfect | Imperfect subjunctive |
Examples:
- Discipulī labōrant ut magistrum placeant. — The students work in order to please the teacher.
- Discipulī labōrābant ut magistrum placērent. — The students were working in order to please the teacher.
- Fuge nē capiāris. — Flee lest you be captured.
- Fūgit nē caperētur. — He fled lest he be captured (= so that he would not be captured).
5. Indirect Commands (iubeō, rogō, hortor, imperō + ut / nē)
After verbs of ordering, asking, urging, or commanding, Latin uses ut / nē + subjunctive (not an infinitive, unlike English). This is called an indirect command or jussive noun clause.
Common trigger verbs:
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| imperō, imperāre (+ dat.) | to order (someone) |
| rogō, rogāre | to ask, request |
| hortor, hortārī | to urge, encourage |
| persuādeō, persuādēre (+ dat.) | to persuade |
| moneō, monēre | to advise, warn |
Examples:
- Dux mīlitibus imperāvit ut fortiter pugnārent. — The general ordered the soldiers to fight bravely. (lit. "that they fight bravely")
- Magister discipulōs hortātus est ut labōrārent. — The teacher urged the students to work.
- Rogō tē nē discēdās. — I ask you not to leave. (lit. "that you not leave")
Contrast with infinitive: English uses infinitives ("I ordered him to go"); Latin uses ut/nē + subjunctive in indirect commands.
6. Sequence of Tenses (Introduction)
| Sequence | Main verb tenses | Subordinate clause tense |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Present, Future, Future Perfect | Present subjunctive |
| Secondary | Imperfect, Perfect, Pluperfect | Imperfect subjunctive |
The sequence controls which subjunctive tense appears in subordinate clauses. You do not choose based on when the action happened — you choose based on the tense of the main verb.
Rogō ut venias. (I ask that you come — present main → present subj.) Rogāvī ut venīrēs. (I asked that you come — perfect main → imperfect subj.)
Key Vocabulary
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| ut (+ subj.) | in order that, so that |
| nē (+ subj.) | lest, in order that … not |
| imperō, imperāre (+ dat.) | to order, command |
| rogō, rogāre | to ask |
| hortor, hortārī | to urge, encourage |
| moneō, monēre | to warn, advise |
| persuādeō, persuādēre | to persuade |
| discēdō, discēdere | to depart, leave |
| placeō, placēre (+ dat.) | to please |
| timeō, timēre | to fear |
Example Sentences
- Vēnimus ut Rōmam vidēāmus. — We came in order to see Rome.
- Mīles fūgit nē caperētur. — The soldier fled lest he be captured.
- Caesar mīlitibus imperāvit ut castra mūnīrent. — Caesar ordered the soldiers to fortify the camp.
- Magister discipulōs monuit nē pigritiam amarent. — The teacher warned the students not to love laziness.
- Rogāmus tē ut nōbīscum maneas. — We ask you to stay with us.
- Puer domum festīnat ut cenam edat. — The boy hurries home to eat dinner.
- Hortor vōs ut fortēs sitis. — I urge you to be brave.
- Exercitus prōcēdēbat ut oppidum caperet. — The army was advancing in order to capture the town.
- Nē timeātis, mīlitēs! — Do not fear, soldiers! (jussive subjunctive — a direct use, not in a clause)
- Persuāsit amīcīs nē Rōmā discēderent. — He persuaded his friends not to leave Rome.
- Scrībit nē oblīviscātur. — He writes so that he won't forget.
- Rogāvī eum ut librōs redderet. — I asked him to return the books.
Practice
A. Identify the subjunctive (present or imperfect) and its use (purpose / indirect command):
- Dux mīlitēs hortābātur ut fortiter pugnārent.
- Discipulī labōrant nē magistrum offendant.
- Rogō ut mihi auxilium ferās.
B. Form the subjunctive:
- Present subjunctive, 3rd pl. of capiō
- Imperfect subjunctive, 1st sg. of esse
- Present subjunctive, 2nd sg. of amō
C. Translate into Latin using ut/nē + subjunctive:
- The soldiers marched in order to capture the city.
- The general urged the men not to flee.
- She writes so that she will remember.