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amāverim, amāvissem; indirect commands

The perfect and pluperfect subjunctive, and "he urged them to …" with ut or nē.

LatinAdvanced Latin · The subjunctiveAbout 3 min: 1 reading, 2 practiceUpdated

After this lesson you can
  • Form the perfect and pluperfect subjunctive, active and passive
  • Use ut or nē with the subjunctive after verbs of ordering, urging, asking, persuading and advising
  • Remember that iubeō takes the infinitive
Latin Level 3: constructions: lesson 4 of 14
  1. Advanced Latin · The subjunctive
  2. amem, regam, sim: the present subjunctive 4 min
  3. ut, nē, quī: purpose clauses 3 min
  4. amārem, essem: the imperfect subjunctive and the sequence of tenses 4 min
  5. amāverim, amāvissem; indirect commands 3 min
  6. possim; "I fear that …" 3 min
  7. Advanced Latin · Participles and irregular verbs
  8. amāns, amātus, amātūrus, amandus: participles 3 min
  9. volō, nōlō, mālō; the ablative absolute 4 min
  10. Advanced Latin · Clauses
  11. fīō; "so … that": result clauses 4 min
  12. "The man to lead us": clauses of characteristic 3 min
  13. cum: when, since, although 3 min
  14. Advanced Latin · Participles and irregular verbs
  15. amandī, ad urbem videndam: gerund and gerundive 4 min
  16. Advanced Latin · Clauses
  17. eō; "he said that …": indirect statement 4 min
  18. ferō; the dative with compounds; indirect questions 4 min
  19. Advanced Latin · Review
  20. The cases and the moods: a review 4 min

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Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lesson LXIV ("The Perfect and Pluperfect Subjunctive · Substantive Clauses of Purpose"), §§ 361–367

What it is

Perfect and pluperfect subjunctive are built on the perfect stem, like their indicatives:

PerfectPluperfect
Iamāverimamāvissem
youamāverisamāvissēs
he/sheamāveritamāvisset
weamāverimusamāvissēmus
you pl.amāveritisamāvissētis
theyamāverintamāvissent

The perfect subjunctive looks like the future perfect indicative, except -erim for "I". The pluperfect is the perfect stem + -issem. Sum: fuerim; fuissem. Passive: participle + sim (amātus sim) or + essem (amātus essem).

Indirect commands. After verbs of ordering, urging, asking, persuading, advising, Latin puts what is wanted in an ut (or nē) clause with the subjunctive, where English uses an infinitive:

  • Hortātus est ut fortiter resisterent. → He urged them to resist bravely.
  • Nōbīs persuādēbit nē proficīscāmur. → He will persuade us not to set out.
  • Monet ut domī maneāmus. → He advises us to stay at home.

Verbs that take this: hortor, imperō (+ dative), moneō, petō, quaerō, rogō, persuādeō (+ dative), postulō, suādeō. But iubeō takes the infinitive: Iubeō eum venīre, but Imperō eī ut veniat.

Quick check

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  1. "He persuaded the soldiers to fight." Which form?

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    Mīlitibus persuāsit ut pugnārent.. persuādeō + dative + ut + subjunctive.

Why it matters

Speeches and orders run through every Roman story: generals urge, envoys ask, friends advise. This is how Latin reports them. And iubeō versus imperō is a favourite exam question.

Worked example

  • Lēgātus mīlitēs hortātus est ut oppidum oppugnārent. → The lieutenant urged the soldiers to attack the town.
  • Rēx cīvibus imperāvit nē discēderent. → The king ordered the citizens not to leave.
  • Rēx cīvēs discēdere iussit. → The king ordered the citizens to leave. (iubeō: infinitive)

Common mistake

Giving iubeō an ut clause, or imperō an infinitive. Iubeō + accusative + infinitive; imperō + dative + ut / nē + subjunctive.

Key terms

perfect subjunctive
amāverim, amāveris …
pluperfect subjunctive
amāvissem, amāvissēs …
indirect command
ut / nē + subjunctive after ordering, urging, asking
imperō, imperāre (+ dat.)
order, command
persuādeō, persuādēre (+ dat.)
persuade
rogō, rogāre
ask
pugnō, pugnāre
fight
discēdō, discēdere, discessī
leave, go away

Practise the key terms

Tap a card to turn it over. 8 cards.

FrontBack
perfect subjunctiveamāverim, amāveris …
pluperfect subjunctiveamāvissem, amāvissēs …
indirect commandut / nē + subjunctive after ordering, urging, asking
imperō, imperāre (+ dat.)order, command
persuādeō, persuādēre (+ dat.)persuade
rogō, rogāreask
pugnō, pugnārefight
discēdō, discēdere, discessīleave, go away

Practice

Quick quiz

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  1. Perfect subjunctive of amō, "I"

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    amāverim. Perfect subjunctive: -erim.

  2. "I order him to come." with iubeō

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    Iubeō eum venīre.. iubeō + infinitive.

  3. "He asked them not to leave."

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    Rogāvit nē discēderent.. Negative: nē.

Sort it

Infinitive or ut-clause?

  1. iubeō (order)

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    Infinitive. iubeō + accusative + infinitive.

  2. imperō (order)

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    ut + subjunctive. imperō + dative + ut.

  3. hortor (urge)

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    ut + subjunctive. Verbs of urging.

  4. persuādeō (persuade)

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    ut + subjunctive. Verbs of persuading.

  5. possum (be able)

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    Infinitive. Complementary infinitive.

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: ut, nē, hortātus est, imperāvit, persuāsit, rogāvit, monet, iussit, oppugnārent, pugnārent, discēderent, discēdere, venīre, veniat, maneant, lēgātus, rēx, mīlitēs, mīlitibus, cīvēs, cīvibus, oppidum. Say English sentences like 'the lieutenant urged the soldiers to attack the town', 'the king ordered the citizens not to leave' (with imperō) or 'the king ordered the citizens to leave' (with iubeō), and I will say them in Latin. 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

  • Perfect subjunctive: perfect stem + -erim; pluperfect: + -issem.
  • Passive: participle + sim / essem.
  • Order, urge, ask, persuade, advise: ut / nē + subjunctive.
  • iubeō: accusative + infinitive; imperō, persuādeō: dative + ut.

Mastery check

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Check yourself

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  1. Give the pluperfect subjunctive of capiō, "they".

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    cēpissent.

  2. Translate Hortātus est ut domum redīrent (redīre = return).

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    He urged them to return home.

  3. Which verb of ordering takes the infinitive?

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    iubeō.

Further reading

  • D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lesson LXIV, §§ 361–367. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.