amem, regam, sim: the present subjunctive
A new mood for wishes, commands to ourselves and ideas rather than facts.
LatinAdvanced Latin · The subjunctiveAbout 4 min: 1 reading, 3 practiceUpdated
- Say how the subjunctive differs from the indicative
- Form the present subjunctive of all four conjugations and of sum
- Translate a wish (fortis sit) and "let us" (proficīscāmur)
Latin Level 3: constructions: lesson 1 of 14
- Advanced Latin · The subjunctive
- amem, regam, sim: the present subjunctive 4 min
- ut, nē, quī: purpose clauses 3 min
- amārem, essem: the imperfect subjunctive and the sequence of tenses 4 min
- amāverim, amāvissem; indirect commands 3 min
- possim; "I fear that …" 3 min
- Advanced Latin · Participles and irregular verbs
- amāns, amātus, amātūrus, amandus: participles 3 min
- volō, nōlō, mālō; the ablative absolute 4 min
- Advanced Latin · Clauses
- fīō; "so … that": result clauses 4 min
- "The man to lead us": clauses of characteristic 3 min
- cum: when, since, although 3 min
- Advanced Latin · Participles and irregular verbs
- amandī, ad urbem videndam: gerund and gerundive 4 min
- Advanced Latin · Clauses
- eō; "he said that …": indirect statement 4 min
- ferō; the dative with compounds; indirect questions 4 min
- Advanced Latin · Review
- The cases and the moods: a review 4 min
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Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lesson LXI ("The Subjunctive Mood"), §§ 342–346
What it is
The indicative states facts: Fortis est, he is brave. The subjunctive expresses ideas that aren't plain facts: a wish, a purpose, a possibility. Fortis sit, may he be brave. It has four tenses (present, imperfect, perfect, pluperfect), active and passive. It is far more common in dependent clauses than in main ones.
The present subjunctive uses the mood sign -ē- in the first conjugation and -ā- in the others, with the normal personal endings:
| amō | regō | |
|---|---|---|
| I | amem | regam |
| you | amēs | regās |
| he/she | amet | regat |
| we | amēmus | regāmus |
| you pl. | amētis | regātis |
| they | ament | regant |
Moneō, capiō and audiō keep their stem vowel and add -a-: moneam, moneās …; capiam, capiās …; audiam, audiās …. The passive uses passive endings: amer, amēris, amētur …; regar, regāris, regātur ….
Sum is irregular: sim, sīs, sit, sīmus, sītis, sint.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
Which form is present subjunctive?
- Indicative: he loves
Show answer
amet. First conjugation subjunctive: -ē-.
Why it matters
Latin uses the subjunctive constantly: for purpose, result, indirect questions, cum clauses and more, all in the next lessons. Its simplest use, in a main clause, already lets you say "let us go" and "may he be brave".
Worked example
- Fortis sit. → May he be brave. (a wish)
- Statim proficīscāmur. → Let us set out at once. (the "let us" subjunctive)
- Mīlitēs fortēs sint. → May the soldiers be brave.
Common mistake
Reading regam or audiam as future. In the first person singular of the third and fourth conjugations, the future and the present subjunctive look the same (regam, audiam). The other persons differ: future regēs, reget; subjunctive regās, regat. Let the sentence decide.
Key terms
- subjunctive
- the mood for ideas: wishes, purposes, possibilities
- indicative
- the mood for facts
- mood sign
- -ē- (1st conjugation) or -ā- (others) in the present subjunctive
- sim, sīs, sit
- present subjunctive of sum
- statim
- at once
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 5 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| subjunctive | the mood for ideas: wishes, purposes, possibilities |
| indicative | the mood for facts |
| mood sign | -ē- (1st conjugation) or -ā- (others) in the present subjunctive |
| sim, sīs, sit | present subjunctive of sum |
| statim | at once |
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 |
|---|---|
| amat | amet |
| monet | moneat |
| regit | regat |
| audit | audiat |
| capit | capiat |
| est | sit |
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
"Let us set out." (proficīscor)
- Indicative: we are setting out
Show answer
Proficīscāmur.. "Let us": present subjunctive.
Present subjunctive of sum, "they"
- Indicative
Show answer
sint. sim, sīs, sit, sīmus, sītis, sint.
reget is …
- The subjunctive is regat
Show answer
future indicative. Future -e-, subjunctive -a-.
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: sim, sīs, sit, sīmus, sītis, sint, amet, moneat, regat, audiat, capiat, proficīscāmur, fortis, fortēs, mīlitēs, statim. Give me an indicative form (for example 'amat' or 'sunt') and I will say the present subjunctive of the same person aloud. Then give me English wishes like 'may he be brave' or 'let us set out at once' for me to say in Latin. Do 10 rounds. 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
- Indicative = fact; subjunctive = idea (wish, purpose, possibility).
- Present subjunctive: -ē- in conjugation 1, -ā- in 2, 3 and 4.
- sum: sim, sīs, sit, sīmus, sītis, sint.
- In a main clause: a wish (fortis sit) or "let us" (proficīscāmur).
Mastery check
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Check yourself
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Give the present subjunctive of audiō, "we".
Show answer
audiāmus.
Translate Fortēs sīmus.
Show answer
Let us be brave.
How do you tell future reget from subjunctive regat?
Show answer
The vowel: -e- future, -a- subjunctive.
Further reading
- D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lesson LXI, §§ 342–346. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.
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