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ferō; the dative with compounds; indirect questions

The irregular verb "carry", compounds that take the dative, and "he asked who …" with the subjunctive.

LatinAdvanced Latin · ClausesAbout 4 min: 2 reading, 2 practiceUpdated

After this lesson you can
  • Conjugate ferō in the present and give its principal parts
  • Use the dative with compound verbs
  • Put the verb of an indirect question in the subjunctive, following the sequence of tenses
Latin Level 3: constructions: lesson 13 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), Lessons LXXIII–LXXIV, §§ 423–433

What it is

ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus (bear, carry): present ferō, fers, fert, ferimus, fertis, ferunt; passive feror, ferris, fertur …; infinitive ferre. Compounds: adferō (bring to, report), cōnferō (collect), īnferō (bring against), referō (bring back, report).

Dative with compounds. Many verbs compounded with ad, ante, con, dē, in, inter, ob, post, prae, prō, sub, super take a dative:

  • Germānī Gallīs bellum īnferunt. → The Germans make war on the Gauls.
  • Galba cōpiīs fīlium praefēcit. → Galba put his son in command of the troops.
  • Hae cōpiae proeliō nōn intererant. → These troops did not take part in the battle.

Indirect questions. A question reported after a verb of asking, saying or knowing keeps its question word, but its verb goes into the subjunctive, following the sequence of tenses:

DirectIndirect
Quis Gallōs vincit?Rogat quis Gallōs vincat. He asks who is defeating the Gauls.
Ubi est Rōma?Rogāvit ubi esset Rōma. He asked where Rome was.
Caesarne Gallōs vīcit?Rogāvit num Caesar Gallōs vīcisset. He asked whether Caesar had defeated the Gauls.

A yes-or-no question usually becomes num (also -ne), "whether". For a completed action in primary sequence, use the perfect subjunctive: Rogat quis vēnerit, he asks who has come.

Quick check

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  1. "He asks where the king is."

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    Rogat ubi rēx sit.. Indirect question: subjunctive.

Why it matters

"I don't know where he is", "they asked who had done it": indirect questions are everyday speech. With indirect statements and commands, they complete Latin's three kinds of reported speech.

Worked example

  • Scīre volō quid faciās. → I want to know what you are doing.
  • Rēx rogāvit cūr cīvēs fūgissent. → The king asked why the citizens had fled. (cūr, why)
  • Nūntius rem rēgī rettulit. → The messenger reported the matter to the king.

Common mistake

Using the indicative in an indirect question: wrong: Rogāvit quis vēnit. After a verb of asking or knowing, the question's verb is subjunctive: Rogāvit quis vēnisset.

Key terms

ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus
bear, carry
referō, referre, rettulī, relātus
bring back; report
īnferō (+ dat.)
bring against; bellum īnferre, make war on
indirect question
question word + subjunctive after asking or knowing
rogō, rogāre
ask
num (indirect)
whether
cūr
why

Practise the key terms

Tap a card to turn it over. 7 cards.

FrontBack
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātusbear, carry
referō, referre, rettulī, relātusbring back; report
īnferō (+ dat.)bring against; bellum īnferre, make war on
indirect questionquestion word + subjunctive after asking or knowing
rogō, rogāreask
num (indirect)whether
cūrwhy

Practice

Quick quiz

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  1. "he carries"

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    fert. ferō, fers, fert.

  2. "He asked who had come."

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    Rogāvit quis vēnisset.. Secondary sequence, earlier action: pluperfect subjunctive.

  3. "They make war on the Romans."

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    Rōmānīs bellum īnferunt.. Dative with compounds.

Sort it

Indirect statement or indirect question?

  1. Dīcit rēgem venīre.

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    Statement (infinitive). Accusative + infinitive.

  2. Rogat quis veniat.

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    Question (subjunctive). Question word + subjunctive.

  3. Scit ubi rēx sit.

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    Question (subjunctive). ubi + subjunctive.

  4. Putat hostēs fūgisse.

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    Statement (infinitive). Accusative + infinitive.

Practise speaking

Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.

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: ferō, fers, fert, ferunt, rettulit, īnferunt, rogat, rogāvit, sciō, quis, quid, ubi, cūr, num, sit, esset, veniat, vēnerit, vēnisset, fūgerint, fūgissent, rēx, rēgī, cīvēs, Rōmānīs, bellum, nūntius, rem. Give me a direct question in English ('where is the king?', 'who has come?', 'why did the citizens flee?') and I will report it in Latin after 'he asks' and then 'he asked'. Do 6 questions. 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

  • ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus: fert, ferunt; irregular in the present.
  • Compounds with ad, in, prae, inter … often take the dative.
  • Indirect question: question word + subjunctive, sequence of tenses.
  • Yes-or-no → num, whether.

Mastery check

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  1. Give the principal parts of ferō.

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    ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus.

  2. Translate Nesciō ubi sit (nesciō = I don't know).

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    I don't know where he is.

  3. Which mood goes in an indirect question?

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    The subjunctive.

Further reading

  • D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lessons LXXIII–LXXIV, §§ 423–433. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.