# Latin/Lesson 1-Subjunctive

## Subjunctives

The Subjunctive is one of the three different moods a Latin verb can
take. The two other moods are the Indicative and the Imperative. The
subjunctive is perhaps the most common and also most difficult to grasp,
and there are a great number of different subjunctive uses.

The subjunctive mainly expresses doubt or potential and what could have
been. Whereas the indicative declares \"this happened\" or \"that
happened,\" the imperative is called \'jussive,\' which is from
\'iubere\' - to command, bid.

Examples

-   \"Let me go\" and \"May I go?\" are statements of potential; the
    speaker is not entirely certain his/her command will be followed.
-   \"Were I a king, I would have a golden throne.\" -this expresses
    what could be true, but is not. Speaker is not a king, and so will
    not get the throne.
-   \"May the force be with you!\" expresses the hope/potential that the
    force (Star Wars) will be with you. The essential word here is
    \'may\' - \"*May* the force be with you.\"

\"*If* this *were* to happen,\" or \"May this happen!\" or \"I ask you
to make this happen\" are all possible uses of the subjunctive.

There are four subjunctives: present, imperfect, perfect, and
pluperfect. There are no subjunctives in the future tense, which already
incorporates an element of doubt.

### The Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive is similar to the present indicative, except
marked by a change of the theme vowel.

*present stem* + *theme vowel change* + *ending*

#### Form

In the present subjunctive, the theme vowel for every conjugation
changes; in effect, the first conjugation masquerades as the second
conjugation and all the other conjugations take on the appearance of the
first.

  ----------------- ----- --------- ------
  1st Conjugation   *a*   becomes   *e*
  2nd Conjugation   *e*   becomes   *ea*
  3rd Conjugation   *e*   becomes   *a*
  3rd -io and 4th   *i*   becomes   *ia*
  ----------------- ----- --------- ------

Some ways to remember this are in the following collapsed table.

+------------------------------------------------+
| Show                                           |
+================================================+
| Sh**e** w**ea**rs **a** g**ia**nt d**ia**mond  |
|                                                |
| W**e** b**ea**t **a** l**ia**r.                |
|                                                |
| W**e** b**ea**t **a**ll l**ia**rs.             |
|                                                |
| W**e** **ea**t **a** fr**ia**r                 |
|                                                |
| W**e** **ea**t **a** F**ia**t                  |
|                                                |
| N**e**ver F**ea**r **a** L**ia**r              |
|                                                |
| L**e**t\'s **ea**t **a** d**ia**per.           |
|                                                |
| L**e**t\'s **ea**t c**a**v**ia**r.             |
|                                                |
| Sh**e** w**ea**rs **a** d**ia**mond.           |
|                                                |
| W**e** **ea**t c**a**v**ia**r                  |
|                                                |
| W**e** f**ea**r **a** l**ia**r                 |
|                                                |
| Sh**e** w**ea**rs **a** t**ia**ra              |
|                                                |
| W**e** b**ea**t **a** g**ia**nt.               |
|                                                |
| Sh**e** r**ea**ds **a** d**ia**ry.             |
|                                                |
| Sh**e** w**ea**rs **a** d**ia**mond t**ia**ra. |
|                                                |
| L**e**t\'s b**ea**t th**a**t g**ia**nt.        |
|                                                |
| F**e**w F**ea**r F**a**t Fr**ia**rs.           |
|                                                |
| H**e**r br**ea**sts **a**re g**ia**nt.         |
|                                                |
| Cl**e**m St**ea**ms Cl**a**ms in S**ia**m      |
+------------------------------------------------+

### Example Conjugation

*porto, port**a**re, portavi, portatus* (1st conjugation - to carry)

#### Present Indicative

This is the present active indicative form of *portāre*, which has
already been covered.


Remember the join vowels.

#### Present Subjunctive

The present active subjunctive of *portare* would be conjugated as
follows:

Notice:

-   The *-ā-* vowel stem has changed to an *-ē-*.
-   The personal endings *-m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt* are used, as is
    done for regular indicative verbs.

#### Present Subjunctive of Esse

The present active subjunctive of *sum, esse*, the verb \"to be\", is
conjugated as follows:

Unlike the conjugation of the present active indicative form, the
present subjunctive is regular. The same personal endings are affixed to
*si-*.

##### Present Subjunctive of Posse

Translates as \"May I/you/he/we/you/they be able\"

### Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive is formed by adding the personal endings *-m,
-s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt* or the passive endings *-r, -ris, -tur, -mur,
-mini, -ntur* to the present infinitive active (often the second
principal part). In other words, for

*vocō, vocāre, vocāvī, vocātum*

The imperfect subjunctives are formed thus:


For deponent verbs, whose second principal part is the passive
infinitive (e.g., cōnārī, verērī, patī, expedīrī) a pseudo present
infinitive is used (e.g, cōnāre, verēre, patere, expedīre; although
these forms do not exist as stand-alone infinitives, they actually ARE
the singular imperatives for these deponent verbs)

The imperfect subjunctive of the verb to be (sum, esse) is conjugated
regularly, as are ALL irregular verbs, e.g.: possem, vellem, nollem,
ferrem, irem)


## Uses of the Subjunctive

Verbs in the subjunctive mood may assume special meaning in specific
constructions.

### Volitive or Optative Clauses

Subjunctives in independent clauses are often translated as
volitive/optative (that is, as a wish). Volitives/optatives show an
intention for an action to occur; e.g. \"amet\" may be translated in
volitive/optative context as \"may he love\"

#### Hortatory

A suggestion or command in first person (most often plural); e.g.
\"cedamus\" as an hortatory subjunctive is \"let us depart\"

#### Jussive

A suggestion or command in third person; e.g. \"cedat\" as a jussive
subjunctive is \"let her depart\"; \"deprehendatur\"= \"Let him be
seized\"

#### Potential

The potential or possibility of something happening, in any person:
(Fortasse) te amem. \"Perhaps I may love you.\"

**All of these Subjunctive types can be used in an independent (main)
clause.** Note that all can be translated with \"let\" or \"may\"; the
differences lie in how English will represent the subjunctive verb:

-   Volitive (Wish): May we be friends forever!
-   Hortatory (Suggestion): Let us be friends!
-   Jussive (Command): Let them be friends!
-   Potential (Possibility): They may be friends; we may be friends; you
    may be friends.

### Purpose Clauses

A purpose clause is a dependent clause used, as the name shows, to show
purpose. Often initiated by an indicative verb, the clause contains a
subjunctive verb in either the present or imperfect tense. Present and
imperfect verbs in purpose clauses should be translated with the
auxiliary verbs \"may\" and \"might,\" respectively. For example,
\"Marcus urbem condidit ut regeret\" should be translated as \"Marcus
built the city so that he would rule.\" These appear frequently in
Latin.

### Relative Clauses

A relative clause is an independent clause introduced by a relative
pronoun. When the verb of a relative clause is in the subjunctive mood
the clause may express result, purpose, or characteristic.

-   Result: The field is so large that he could not plow it in one day.
-   Purpose: He sent envoys who would pacify the city.
-   Characteristic: Who is so ill-prepared who would fight without a
    shield?

