Perfect Active Tense
Learn the four principal parts of Latin verbs. Form and translate the perfect active tense using the -i/-isti/-it/-imus/-istis/-erunt endings. Understand both the simple past and present-perfect meanings of the Latin perfect.
A lesson of Latin A2 — Elementary, in The Perfect System, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will form and translate the Latin perfect active tense using all six persons and numbers, and you will understand its two English meanings.
The Four Principal Parts
Every Latin verb is listed in the dictionary with four forms called principal parts. You cannot conjugate the perfect, pluperfect, or future perfect without knowing all four.
| Principal Part | What It Is | Example: amare |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1st sg. present active | amo |
| 2nd | Present active infinitive | amare |
| 3rd | 1st sg. perfect active | amavi |
| 4th | Perfect passive participle (neut. nom.) | amatum |
The third principal part is your key to the entire perfect system. Strip its ending (-i) and you have the perfect stem: amav-.
Perfect Active Endings
The perfect active has its own unique set of endings — they do not match either the present or the imperfect endings. Memorize them as a set.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | -i | -imus |
| 2nd | -isti | -istis |
| 3rd | -it | -erunt (-ere also accepted) |
Attach these endings directly to the perfect stem.
Full Conjugation: amare (to love)
Perfect stem: amav-
| Person | Singular | Translation | Plural | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | amavi | I loved / I have loved | amavimus | we loved / we have loved |
| 2nd | amavisti | you loved / you have loved | amavistis | you all loved / you have loved |