Author: Indigo Curnick
Date: 2025-12-20
In this blog we'll cover the conjugations of the Latin imperfect indicative active verb conjugation. To review what that means we need to remember that a verb conjugation is defined by: person, tense, mood and voice.
In this case
- Tense = future
- Mood = indicative
- Voice = active
And as a reminder of what those mean
- Future: The action will take place in a future time
- Indicative: The verb is stating a fact about the world
- Active: The subject of the verb performs the action
Examples of this idea in English are I will run, she will eat and so on.
We'll consider five verbs from each of the conjugations, as well as seven irregular verbs.
First Conjugation
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labōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum - to work
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clāmō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum - to shout
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nārrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum - to tell
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exspectō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum - to wait for
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intrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum - to enter
| Person | labōrō | clāmō | nārrō | exspectō | intrō |
| 1st Sing. | labōrābo | clāmābo | narrābo | exspectābo | intābo |
| 2nd Sing. | labōrābis | clāmābis | narrābis | exspectābis | intābis |
| 3rd Sing. | labōrābit | clāmābit | narrābit | exspectābit | intābit |
| 1st Plur. | labōrābimus | clāmābimus | narrābimus | exspectābimus | intābimus |
| 2nd Plur. | labōrābitis | clāmābitis | narrābitis | exspectābitis | intābitis |
| 3rd Plur. | labōrābunt | clāmābunt | narrābunt | exspectābunt | intābunt |
Second Conjugation
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dēbeō, -ēre, -uī, -itum - to owe
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rīdeō, -dēre, -sī, -sum - to laugh
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doleō, -ēre, -uī, -itum - to grieve
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sedeō, -ēre, sēdī, sessum - to sit
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taceō, -ēre, -uī, -itum - to be silent
| Person | dēbeō | rīdeō | doleō | sedeō | taceō |
| 1st Sing. | dēbēbo | rīdēbo | dolēbo | sedēbo | tacēbo |
| 2nd Sing. | dēbēbis | rīdēbis | dolēbis | sedēbis | tacēbis |
| 3rd Sing. | dēbēbit | rīdēbit | dolēbit | sedēbit | tacēbit |
| 1st Plur. | dēbēbimus | rīdēbimus | dolēbimus | sedēbimus | tacēbimus |
| 2nd Plur. | dēbēbitis | rīdēbitis | dolēbitis | sedēbitis | tacēbitis |
| 3rd Plur. | dēbēbunt | rīdēbunt | dolēbunt | sedēbunt | tacēbunt |
Third Conjugation
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relinquō, -inquere, -īquī, -ictum - to leave behind
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vincō, -ere, vīcī, victum - to conquer
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currō, -ere, cucurrī, cursum - to run
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quaerō, -rere, -sīvī, -sītum - to ask, to seek
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cēdō, -ere, cessī, cessum - to yield, to go
| Person | relinquō | vincō | currō | quaerō | cēdō |
| 1st Sing. | relinquam | vincam | curram | quaeram | cēdam |
| 2nd Sing. | relinquēs | vincēs | currēs | quaerēs | cēdēs |
| 3rd Sing. | relinquet | vincet | curret | quaeret | cēdet |
| 1st Plur. | relinquēmus | vincēmus | currēmus | quaerēmus | cēdēmus |
| 2nd Plur. | relinquētis | vincētis | currētis | quaerētis | cēdētis |
| 3rd Plur. | relinquend | vincent | current | quaerent | cēdent |
Fourth Conjugation
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impediō, -īre, -īvī, -ītum - to hinder
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adveniō, -enīre, -ēnī, -entum - to arrive
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inveniō, -enīre, -ēnī, -entum - to find
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nūtriō, -īre, -īvī, -itum - to nourish
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custōdiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītum - to guard
| Person | impediō | adveniō | inveniō | nūtriō | custōdiō |
| 1st Sing. | impediam | adveniam | inveniam | nūtriam | custōdiam |
| 2nd Sing. | impediēs | adveniēs | inveniēs | nūtriēs | custōdiēs |
| 3rd Sing. | impediet | adveniet | inveniet | nūtriet | custōdiet |
| 1st Plur. | impediēmus | adveniēmus | inveniēmus | nūtriēmus | custōdiēmus |
| 2nd Plur. | impediētis | adveniētis | inveniētis | nūtriētis | custōdiētis |
| 3rd Plur. | impedient | advenient | invenient | nūtrient | custōdient |
Irregular Verbs
Here's a few verbs which are irregular in the future indicative active
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sum, esse, fuī - to be (the most important verb - you MUST memorise this)
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posse, -sse, -tuī - to be able
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eō, īre, īvī, itum - to go
| Person | sum | posse | ire |
| 1st Sing. | ero | potero | ībo |
| 2nd Sing. | eris | poteris | ībis |
| 3rd Sing. | erit | poterit | ībit |
| 1st Plur. | erimus | poterimus | ibimu |
| 2nd Plur. | eritis | poteritis | ibitis |
| 3rd Plur. | erunt | poterunt | ībunt |
References
Collar, W. C., Daniell, M. G., Jenkins, T. (1918) Collar and Daniel's First Year Latin (Revised Ed.). Ginn and Company
Bullions, P. (1856) The Principles of Latin Grammar (62nd Ed.). Pratt, Woodford, Farmer & Brace
Wheelock, F. M. (2005) Wheelock's Latin 6th ed. HarperResource
Kidd, D. A., Wade, M (1997) Collins Latin Dictionary & Grammar. Harper Collins