# Latin/Lesson 2-Active v Passive

A verb\'s voice shows the relationship between the subject and the
action expressed by the verb. Latin has two voices: active and passive.

In the active voice, the subject of the clause performs the verb on
something else (the object), e.g., \"The girl sees the boy.\"

In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action of
the verb, e.g., \"The boy is seen by the girl.\"

The personal endings in the active voice are: **-ō**/**-m**, **-s**,
**-t**, **-mus**, **-tis**, **-nt**.

The personal endings in the passive voice (present, imperfect, future)
are: **-r**, **-ris**, **-tur**, **-mur**, **-mini**, **-ntur**.

        Singular   Plural
  ----- ---------- --------
  1st   -ō/-m      -mus
  2nd   -s         -tis
  3rd   -t         -nt

  : Personal Active

        Singular   Plural
  ----- ---------- --------
  1st   -r         -mur
  2nd   -ris       -mini
  3rd   -tur       -ntur

  : Personal Passive

In the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect, the passive voice is
formed by the fourth principal part plus the proper forms of **sum,
esse**. For the perfect tense, use the present forms of **esse**, for
the pluperfect use the imperfect forms of **esse**, and for the future
perfect use the future forms of **esse**. The fourth principal part,
when used in a passive construction, acts as a first-second declension
adjective and is declined accordingly.

As stated before, when the passive voice is used, the subject receives
the action of the verb from another agent. This agent, when it is a
person, is expressed by the preposition **ā**/**ab** plus the ablative
case. This construction is called the *ablative of personal agent*. The
*ablative of cause* is used without a preposition when the agent is not
a person.

## Examples:

-   Active: *Puella puerum videt.* (The girl sees the boy.)

:\*Passive: *Puer ā puellā vidētur.* (The boy is seen by the girl.)

:   *Puella* takes *ā* and the ablative, as it is a personal agent.

-   Active: *Timor virum capit.* (Fear seizes the man.)

:\*Passive: *Vir timore capitur.* (The man is seized by fear.)

:   *Timore* is ablative of cause.

-   Active: *Hostēs urbem oppugnābant.* (The enemies were attacking the
    city.)

:\*Passive: *Urbs ab hostibus oppūgnābātur.* (The city was being
attacked by the enemies.)

## Deponent verbs

Some verbs are always passive in form, even though they have an active
meaning. For example:

-   filius agricolam `<b>`{=html}sequitur`</b>`{=html} - The son follows
    the farmer
-   sol `<b>`{=html}ortus est`</b>`{=html} - The sun has risen
-   agricolae hostes `<b>`{=html}verentur`</b>`{=html} - The farmers
    fear the enemies
-   gladio `<b>`{=html}usus sum`</b>`{=html} - I used a sword

Some, called semi-deponent verbs, take on a passive form on only in the
perfect. For example:

-   colono `<b>`{=html}confido`</b>`{=html} - I trust the farmer
-   colono `<b>`{=html}confisus sum`</b>`{=html} - I trusted the farmer

Note that some deponent and semi-deponent verbs take the accusative case
(eg. vereor, vereri, veritus sum = I fear), some the ablative (eg. utor,
uti, usus sum = I use) and some the dative (eg. confido, confidere,
confisus sum = I trust). When you first encounter such a verb in Latin,
be sure to remember the case of the object the verb is taking along with
its spelling and meaning.

