fuī, fueram, fuerō: the perfect tenses of sum
Principal parts, the perfect stem, and three tenses of completed action.
LatinIntermediate Latin · The perfect tensesAbout 3 min: 1 reading, 2 practiceUpdated
- Name the four principal parts of a Latin verb
- Find the perfect stem
- Give the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect of sum
Latin Level 2: verbs and the other declensions: lesson 13 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
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Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lesson XXXI ("Perfect, Pluperfect, and Future Perfect of sum"), §§ 183–187
What it is
A Latin verb is learned by its principal parts: present, infinitive, perfect and perfect passive participle, like English go, went, gone. For sum they are sum, esse, fuī (it has no passive participle).
Drop the -ī of the perfect to get the perfect stem: fu-. Three tenses of completed action are built on it:
| Perfect | Pluperfect | |
|---|---|---|
| I | fuī | fueram |
| you | fuistī | fuerās |
| he/she | fuit | fuerat |
| we | fuimus | fuerāmus |
| you pl. | fuistis | fuerātis |
| they | fuērunt (fuēre) | fuerant |
Future perfect: fuerō, fueris, fuerit, fuerimus, fueritis, fuerint.
The perfect has its own endings: -ī, -istī, -it, -imus, -istis, -ērunt. The pluperfect is the perfect stem + eram; the future perfect is the perfect stem + erō, but with -erint in "they".
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
What does fuerant mean?
- That would be erant or fuērunt
Show answer
they had been. Pluperfect: perfect stem + eram.
Why it matters
These endings are the same for every verb's perfect tenses. Learn them once with sum, and the next lessons only add new perfect stems.
Worked example
- Puerī in lūdō fuērunt. → The boys have been (were) at school.
- Oppidum magnum fuerat. → The town had been large.
- Puerī in oppidō fuerint. → The boys will have been in the town.
Common mistake
Using -erunt for the future perfect "they": wrong: fuerunt. The future perfect is fuerint; fuērunt (long ē) is the perfect.
Key terms
- principal parts
- the four forms you learn: sum, esse, fuī; amō, amāre, amāvī, amātus
- perfect stem
- the perfect without -ī: fu-
- perfect
- completed: have been, was
- pluperfect
- had been
- future perfect
- will have been
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 5 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| principal parts | the four forms you learn: sum, esse, fuī; amō, amāre, amāvī, amātus |
| perfect stem | the perfect without -ī: fu- |
| perfect | completed: have been, was |
| pluperfect | had been |
| future perfect | will have been |
Practice
Recognition drill
Pick the right answer, as fast as you can.
All pairs
Tap a card to turn it over. 6 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| fuī | I have been / I was |
| fuistis | you (pl.) have been |
| fuerat | he had been |
| fuerāmus | we had been |
| fuerō | I shall have been |
| fuerint | they will have been |
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
"You (one) have been"
- That is plural
- That is pluperfect: you had been
Show answer
fuistī. Perfect "you": -istī.
Future perfect "they"
- The future perfect ends in -erint
Show answer
fuerint. Perfect stem + erō, but "they" is -erint.
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: fuī, fuistī, fuit, fuimus, fuistis, fuērunt, fueram, fuerō, fuerint. Give me a person and a tense in English (for example 'they had been', 'we have been', 'you will have been'), and I will say the Latin form. Do 10 forms. 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
- Principal parts: present, infinitive, perfect, perfect passive participle.
- Perfect stem = perfect minus -ī.
- Perfect endings: -ī, -istī, -it, -imus, -istis, -ērunt.
- Pluperfect = stem + eram; future perfect = stem + erō (they: -erint).
Mastery check
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Check yourself
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Give "we have been".
Show answer
fuimus.
What is the perfect stem of sum?
Show answer
fu-.
Translate fuerātis.
Show answer
You (pl.) had been.
Further reading
- D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lesson XXXI, §§ 183–187. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.
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