amātus sum: the perfect passive
The perfect passive participle, and passive perfects made with sum.
LatinIntermediate Latin · The perfect tensesAbout 4 min: 2 reading, 2 practiceUpdated
- Find the perfect passive participle in the principal parts
- Form the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect passive with sum
- Make the participle agree with the subject
- Form the perfect passive and future active infinitives
Latin Level 2: verbs and the other declensions: lesson 16 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 XXXV ("The Passive Perfects of the Indicative · The Perfect Passive and Future Active Infinitive"), §§ 201–206
What it is
The fourth principal part is the perfect passive participle, an adjective meaning "having been …ed": amātus, -a, -um (loved), monitus (warned), rēctus (ruled), captus (taken), audītus (heard).
The passive perfect tenses are two words: the participle + a form of sum.
| Perfect | Pluperfect | |
|---|---|---|
| I | amātus sum | amātus eram |
| you | amātus es | amātus erās |
| he/she | amātus est | amātus erat |
| we | amātī sumus | amātī erāmus |
| you pl. | amātī estis | amātī erātis |
| they | amātī sunt | amātī erant |
The future perfect uses the future of sum: amātus erō, eris, erit; amātī erimus, eritis, erunt.
The participle is an adjective, so it agrees with the subject in gender, number and case:
- Vir laudātus est. → The man was praised.
- Puella laudāta est. → The girl was praised.
- Cōnsilia laudāta sunt. → The plans were praised.
Two more infinitives: perfect passive amātus esse (to have been loved) and future active amātūrus esse (to be about to love).
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
"The towns were taken."
- The participle must agree: neuter plural
Show answer
Oppida capta sunt.. oppida is neuter plural: capta sunt.
Why it matters
Most accounts of the past are told with these forms: the town was taken, the letter had been sent. Learning the fourth principal part now unlocks every one of them.
Worked example
- Epistula ā puerō missa est. → The letter was sent by the boy. (missa: feminine, agreeing with epistula)
- Puerī ā magistrō monitī erant. → The boys had been warned by the teacher.
- Oppidum ā Rōmānīs captum erit. → The town will have been taken by the Romans.
Common mistake
Reading amātus est as present: wrong: he is loved. Est is present, but the phrase is perfect: he was (has been) loved. Likewise amātus erat is "had been loved", not "was loved".
Key terms
- perfect passive participle
- having been …ed: amātus, -a, -um
- amātus sum
- I was (have been) loved
- amātus eram
- I had been loved
- amātus esse
- to have been loved
- amātūrus esse
- to be about to love
- cōnsilium, -ī
- plan
- epistula, -ae
- letter
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 7 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| perfect passive participle | having been …ed: amātus, -a, -um |
| amātus sum | I was (have been) loved |
| amātus eram | I had been loved |
| amātus esse | to have been loved |
| amātūrus esse | to be about to love |
| cōnsilium, -ī | plan |
| epistula, -ae | letter |
Practice
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
Translate Puella monita est.
- monita est is perfect, not present
Show answer
The girl was warned.. Participle + est = perfect passive.
"The boys had been praised."
- That is perfect: were praised
- The participle and verb must be plural
Show answer
Puerī laudātī erant.. Pluperfect passive: participle + erant, agreeing with puerī.
Fourth principal part of mittō
- That is the third: the perfect active
Show answer
missus. mittō, mittere, mīsī, missus.
Build the sentence
"The letter was sent." Put the subject first, then the participle, then the verb.
Show answer
Epistula missa est
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: laudātus est, laudāta est, laudātī sunt, missa est, monitī erant, captum erit, puer, puella, epistula, oppidum, cōnsilium. Give me English sentences like 'the girl was praised', 'the letter was sent' or 'the plans had been praised', and I will say them in Latin, making the participle agree. 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.
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.
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In short
- Fourth principal part: perfect passive participle, -us, -a, -um.
- Perfect passive = participle + sum; pluperfect + eram; future perfect + erō.
- The participle agrees with the subject.
- Infinitives: amātus esse (perfect passive), amātūrus esse (future active).
Mastery check
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Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
Give "she had been heard".
Show answer
audīta erat.
Translate Cōnsilia laudāta sunt.
Show answer
The plans were (have been) praised.
What is the perfect passive infinitive of capiō?
Show answer
captus esse, to have been taken.
Further reading
- D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lesson XXXV, §§ 201–206. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.
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