hortor, sequor: deponent verbs
Verbs with passive forms and active meanings.
LatinIntermediate Latin · Deponent verbsAbout 3 min: 1 reading, 2 practiceUpdated
- Recognise a deponent from its principal parts
- Translate deponent forms actively
- Conjugate deponents of all four conjugations in the tenses you know
Latin Level 2: verbs and the other declensions: lesson 35 of 35
- Intermediate Latin · Verbs: the present system
- sum: I am, I was, I shall be 3 min
- The present of amō and moneō 4 min
- The imperfect: was doing 4 min
- The future: will do 3 min
- The dative with adjectives 3 min
- The present of regō and audiō 4 min
- The imperfect of regō and audiō, and verbs that take the dative 3 min
- The future of regō and audiō 3 min
- capiō, and giving orders 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · The passive voice
- The passive: being done to 3 min
- The passive of regō, audiō and capiō; passive infinitives 3 min
- Synopses, and the ablative of "from" 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · The perfect tenses
- fuī, fueram, fuerō: the perfect tenses of sum 3 min
- The perfect active: did, have done 5 min
- Had done, will have done: pluperfect and future perfect active 3 min
- amātus sum: the perfect passive 4 min
- Principal parts, prepositions, and yes-or-no questions 5 min
- possum, "I can", and the infinitive 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · Pronouns
- quī, quae, quod: who, which, that 4 min
- Intermediate Latin · The third declension
- rēx, rēgis: the third declension 4 min
- hostis, urbs, mare: i-stems 4 min
- vīs and iter; gender in the third declension 4 min
- omnis, ācer, pār: third-declension adjectives 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · The fourth and fifth declensions
- manus, cornū: the fourth declension 3 min
- Rōmae, domī, Athēnīs: place and the locative 4 min
- diēs, rēs: the fifth declension and the ablative of time 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · Pronouns
- ego, tū, sē: personal and reflexive pronouns 4 min
- ipse, "himself", and īdem, "the same" 3 min
- hic, iste, ille: this and that 4 min
- aliquis, quīdam, quisque: someone, a certain, each 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · Comparison
- clārior, clārissimus: comparing adjectives 4 min
- melior, optimus: irregular comparison, plūs, and "by how much" 3 min
- clārē, fortiter: adverbs and their comparison 4 min
- Intermediate Latin · Numerals
- ūnus, duo, trēs: numerals, "of" the whole, and "for how long" 5 min
- Intermediate Latin · Deponent verbs
- hortor, sequor: deponent verbs 3 min
Try first
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Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lesson LX ("Deponent Verbs"), §§ 338–340
What it is
Some verbs have passive forms but active meanings. They are called deponent (from dēpōnere, to lay aside) because they have "laid aside" their active forms.
- hortor → I encourage (not "I am encouraged")
- sequitur → he follows
- secūtus est → he followed
Their principal parts are all passive in form, with three parts instead of four:
| Conj. | Principal parts | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | hortor, hortārī, hortātus sum | encourage |
| 2 | vereor, verērī, veritus sum | fear |
| 3 | sequor, sequī, secūtus sum | follow |
| 3 -iō | patior, patī, passus sum | suffer, allow |
| 4 | partior, partīrī, partītus sum | share |
They use exactly the passive endings you know: hortor, hortāris, hortātur …; hortābar; hortābor; hortātus sum; hortātus eram. Patior goes like the passive of capiō.
Deponents also have a future active infinitive (hortātūrus esse) and a few other active forms you'll meet later.
Quick check
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What does sequimur mean?
- sequor is deponent: passive form, active meaning
Show answer
we follow. Deponent: translate actively.
Why it matters
Some of the commonest Latin verbs are deponent: sequor (follow), proficīscor (set out), cōnor (try), loquor (speak), morior (die). If you translate them as passives, the sentence falls apart.
Worked example
- Lēgātus mīlitēs hortātur. → The lieutenant encourages the soldiers.
- Equitātus hostēs secūtus est. → The cavalry followed the enemy.
- Puerī magistrum verentur. → The boys fear the teacher.
Common mistake
Translating deponents as passive: wrong: The soldiers are followed for Mīlitēs sequuntur. A deponent is active in meaning: the soldiers follow. Check the dictionary entry: if the first principal part ends in -or and the third is -us sum, it's deponent.
Key terms
- deponent verb
- passive in form, active in meaning
- hortor, hortārī, hortātus sum
- encourage
- vereor, verērī, veritus sum
- fear
- sequor, sequī, secūtus sum
- follow
- patior, patī, passus sum
- suffer, allow
- cōnor, cōnārī, cōnātus sum
- try
- proficīscor, proficīscī, profectus sum
- set out
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 7 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| deponent verb | passive in form, active in meaning |
| hortor, hortārī, hortātus sum | encourage |
| vereor, verērī, veritus sum | fear |
| sequor, sequī, secūtus sum | follow |
| patior, patī, passus sum | suffer, allow |
| cōnor, cōnārī, cōnātus sum | try |
| proficīscor, proficīscī, profectus sum | set out |
Practice
Quick quiz
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Translate Hostēs nōs sequuntur.
- sequor is deponent: active meaning
Show answer
The enemy are following us.. Deponent: passive form, active meaning.
"He tried"
- Deponents have no active perfect; the perfect is cōnātus est
Show answer
cōnātus est. Perfect of a deponent: participle + sum.
Which verb is deponent?
- Active principal parts
Show answer
vereor, verērī, veritus sum. Passive-form principal parts mark a deponent.
Sort it
Deponent or ordinary passive? (Translate the form.)
hortātur
He encourages.Show answer
Active meaning (deponent). He encourages.
laudātur
He is praised.Show answer
Passive meaning. He is praised.
secūtī sunt
They followed.Show answer
Active meaning (deponent). They followed.
captī sunt
They were captured.Show answer
Passive meaning. They were captured.
Practise speaking
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You are a patient Latin tutor. Use the classical pronunciation only, never the Church one: c is always k, g is always hard, v sounds like w, ae like the ai in aisle, and long vowels are held longer. Speak slowly. Use only these Latin words: hortor, hortātur, hortātus est, vereor, verentur, sequor, sequuntur, secūtus est, cōnor, cōnātus est, proficīscitur, profectus est, lēgātus, mīlitēs, hostēs, magister, equitātus, puerī. Say English sentences like 'the lieutenant encourages the soldiers', 'the cavalry followed the enemy' or 'the boys fear the teacher', and I will say them in Latin with deponent verbs. Do 8 sentences. After each answer, tell me what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again, then tell me one thing to improve. Keep every reply under 2 sentences. If I need a name or a town, I will make one up. Speak English except for the Latin itself.
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Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. This course teaches the classical pronunciation (see lesson 1); AI voices may mix it with the Church (Italian-style) one, so ask for classical and check against lesson 1. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
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In short
- Deponent: passive endings, active meaning.
- Three principal parts: hortor, hortārī, hortātus sum.
- All passive tenses apply: hortor, hortābar, hortābor, hortātus sum …
- Translate actively: secūtus est = he followed.
Mastery check
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Check yourself
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Give "they set out" (perfect) from proficīscor.
Show answer
profectī sunt.
Translate Rēx cīvēs hortābātur.
Show answer
The king was encouraging the citizens.
How do you recognise a deponent in the dictionary?
Show answer
Its principal parts are passive: -or, -ī/-rī, -us sum.
Further reading
- D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lesson LX, §§ 338–340. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.
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