Present Subjunctive Formation
Form the present subjunctive using the vowel-change rule: first conjugation shifts -a- to -e- (amem); second, third, and fourth conjugations shift to -a- (moneam, ducam, audiam). Learn the imperfect subjunctive as well.
A lesson of Latin A2 — Elementary, in The Subjunctive Mood, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will form the present and imperfect subjunctive for all four conjugations and understand why Latin uses the subjunctive mood rather than the indicative.
What Is the Subjunctive?
The indicative mood states facts: Caesar venit — "Caesar comes / is coming." It reports what is.
The subjunctive mood expresses:
- Purpose: venit ut videret — "he came in order that he might see"
- Result: tam fortis erat ut nemo eum vinceret — "he was so brave that no one could defeat him"
- Indirect questions, conditions, relative clauses with implied purpose, and more
The subjunctive is not optional decoration — it is grammatically required in several constructions that appear on virtually every page of Latin prose.
Present Subjunctive Formation: The Vowel-Change Rule
The present subjunctive is formed by changing the stem vowel of the present tense. The rule differs by conjugation.
Memory device: "she" — "we" — "we" — "we"
- 1st conjugation: she — the -a- stem changes to -e-
- 2nd, 3rd, 4th conjugations: we — the stem changes to -a-
(Some teachers use the mnemonic "WERE" for 2nd/3rd/4th — the vowel a inserted before the endings.)
Present Subjunctive: All Four Conjugations
1st Conjugation: amare — stem vowel changes -a- → -e-
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | amem | amemus |
| 2nd | ames | ametis |
| 3rd | amet | ament |
2nd Conjugation: monere — stem -e- → -ea-
| Person |
|---|