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The perfect active: did, have done

amāvī, monuī, rēxī, cēpī, audīvī, and when to use the perfect or the imperfect.

LatinIntermediate Latin · The perfect tensesAbout 5 min: 1 reading, 4 practiceUpdated

After this lesson you can
  • Form the perfect active from the third principal part
  • Give the two meanings of the perfect
  • Choose the perfect or the imperfect in a story
Latin Level 2: verbs and the other declensions: lesson 14 of 35
  1. Intermediate Latin · Verbs: the present system
  2. sum: I am, I was, I shall be 3 min
  3. The present of amō and moneō 4 min
  4. The imperfect: was doing 4 min
  5. The future: will do 3 min
  6. The dative with adjectives 3 min
  7. The present of regō and audiō 4 min
  8. The imperfect of regō and audiō, and verbs that take the dative 3 min
  9. The future of regō and audiō 3 min
  10. capiō, and giving orders 3 min
  11. Intermediate Latin · The passive voice
  12. The passive: being done to 3 min
  13. The passive of regō, audiō and capiō; passive infinitives 3 min
  14. Synopses, and the ablative of "from" 3 min
  15. Intermediate Latin · The perfect tenses
  16. fuī, fueram, fuerō: the perfect tenses of sum 3 min
  17. The perfect active: did, have done 5 min
  18. Had done, will have done: pluperfect and future perfect active 3 min
  19. amātus sum: the perfect passive 4 min
  20. Principal parts, prepositions, and yes-or-no questions 5 min
  21. possum, "I can", and the infinitive 3 min
  22. Intermediate Latin · Pronouns
  23. quī, quae, quod: who, which, that 4 min
  24. Intermediate Latin · The third declension
  25. rēx, rēgis: the third declension 4 min
  26. hostis, urbs, mare: i-stems 4 min
  27. vīs and iter; gender in the third declension 4 min
  28. omnis, ācer, pār: third-declension adjectives 3 min
  29. Intermediate Latin · The fourth and fifth declensions
  30. manus, cornū: the fourth declension 3 min
  31. Rōmae, domī, Athēnīs: place and the locative 4 min
  32. diēs, rēs: the fifth declension and the ablative of time 3 min
  33. Intermediate Latin · Pronouns
  34. ego, tū, sē: personal and reflexive pronouns 4 min
  35. ipse, "himself", and īdem, "the same" 3 min
  36. hic, iste, ille: this and that 4 min
  37. aliquis, quīdam, quisque: someone, a certain, each 3 min
  38. Intermediate Latin · Comparison
  39. clārior, clārissimus: comparing adjectives 4 min
  40. melior, optimus: irregular comparison, plūs, and "by how much" 3 min
  41. clārē, fortiter: adverbs and their comparison 4 min
  42. Intermediate Latin · Numerals
  43. ūnus, duo, trēs: numerals, "of" the whole, and "for how long" 5 min
  44. Intermediate Latin · Deponent verbs
  45. hortor, sequor: deponent verbs 3 min

Try first

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Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lesson XXXII ("The Perfect Active Indicative of the Four Regular Conjugations"), §§ 190–192

What it is

Take the third principal part, drop -ī, and add the perfect endings you learned with sum:

VerbPerfectPerfect stem
amōamāvīamāv-
moneōmonuīmonu-
regōrēxīrēx-
capiōcēpīcēp-
audiōaudīvīaudīv-

amāvī, amāvistī, amāvit, amāvimus, amāvistis, amāvērunt.

The perfect means either I loved (a single past event) or I have loved (complete now). Most first-conjugation verbs form it with -āvī: parāvī, vocāvī, laudāvī. Others must be learned: dūcō → dūxī, mittō → mīsī, veniō → vēnī, faciō → fēcī, videō → vīdī.

Quick check

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  1. What is the perfect stem of mittō, mittere, mīsī?

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    mīs-. Drop -ī from the third principal part: mīs-.

Why it matters

In a story, Latin uses the perfect for the events that move it forward and the imperfect for the background. Choosing between them is how you show what happened and what was going on.

Worked example

Puerī in agrīs labōrābant. Tum lēgātus vēnit et eōs vocāvit. → The boys were working in the fields. Then the lieutenant came and called them.

  • labōrābant: imperfect, the background, going on
  • vēnit, vocāvit: perfect, the events that happen

Common mistake

Building the perfect from the present stem: wrong: mittī for "I sent". The perfect stem often looks different, so always learn the third principal part: mīsī.

Key terms

perfect active
I did / I have done
third principal part
the perfect, first person: amāvī
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī
lead
mittō, mittere, mīsī
send
veniō, venīre, vēnī
come

Practise the key terms

Tap a card to turn it over. 5 cards.

FrontBack
perfect activeI did / I have done
third principal partthe perfect, first person: amāvī
dūcō, dūcere, dūxīlead
mittō, mittere, mīsīsend
veniō, venīre, vēnīcome

Practice

Recognition drill

Pick the right answer, as fast as you can.

All pairs

Tap a card to turn it over. 6 cards.

FrontBack
dūcōdūxī
mittōmīsī
veniōvēnī
faciōfēcī
videōvīdī
habeōhabuī

Quick quiz

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  1. "They called"

    Show answer

    vocāvērunt. Perfect "they": -ērunt.

  2. In Lēgātus vēnit, what is vēnit?

    Show answer

    perfect, "he came". vēnit (long ē) is perfect.

  3. "I saw"

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    vīdī. videō, vidēre, vīdī.

Sort it

Background (imperfect) or event (perfect)?

  1. The farmers were ploughing.

    Show answer

    Imperfect. Going on: imperfect.

  2. Suddenly a messenger arrived.

    Show answer

    Perfect. A single event: perfect.

  3. The town used to be small.

    Show answer

    Imperfect. A past situation: imperfect.

  4. The Romans took the town.

    Show answer

    Perfect. A completed event: perfect.

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: amāvī, monuī, rēxī, cēpī, audīvī, dūxī, mīsī, vēnī, fēcī, vīdī. Give me English past phrases like 'they called', 'I saw' or 'we have led', and I will say the perfect in Latin. Do 10 phrases. 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.

Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.

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.

New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.

In short

  • Perfect = perfect stem (third principal part minus -ī) + -ī, -istī, -it, -imus, -istis, -ērunt.
  • 1st conjugation: usually -āvī.
  • Perfect = did / have done; imperfect = was doing.
  • In stories: perfect for events, imperfect for background.

Mastery check

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Check yourself

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  1. Give "we led".

    Show answer

    dūximus.

  2. Translate Fēcistis.

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    You (pl.) made / did, or have made / have done.

  3. Which tense describes a scene going on?

    Show answer

    The imperfect.

Further reading

  • D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lesson XXXII, §§ 190–192. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.