Form future tenses (I will do, I will have done) and get an introduction to the subjunctive mood — Latin's way of expressing wishes, possibilities, purpose, and indirect commands.
Estimated Time: 45–55 minutes
The future tense has different formations depending on the conjugation — this is one place where conjugation identity really matters:
| Person | 1st: amō | 2nd: videō |
|---|---|---|
| I will | amābō | vidēbō |
| you will | amābis | vidēbis |
| he/she will | amābit | vidēbit |
| we will | amābimus | vidēbimus |
| you (pl.) will | amābitis | vidēbitis |
| they will | amābunt | vidēbunt |
| Person | 3rd: dūcō | 4th: audiō |
|---|---|---|
| I will | dūcam | audiam |
| you will | dūcēs | audiēs |
| he/she will | dūcet | audiet |
| we will | dūcēmus | audiēmus |
| you (pl.) will | dūcētis | audiētis |
| they will | dūcent | audient |
The 3rd/4th conjugation future (-am, -ēs, -et) looks dangerously similar to the present subjunctive of 1st/2nd conjugation verbs. Context is key. The mnemonic: 1st/2nd future uses -bi-, 3rd/4th future uses -ē-.
Perfect stem + -erō, -eris, -erit, -erimus, -eritis, -erint. Used for actions completed before a future point:
Sī hōc fēceris, tē laudābō.
(If you will have done this [future perfect], I will praise you [future].)
The subjunctive is a mood (not a tense) — it expresses non-factual states: wishes, possibilities, purposes, and indirect commands. English has largely lost its subjunctive ("If I were you"), but Latin uses it constantly.
The trick: the theme vowel changes. Use the mnemonic "wE bEAt A lIAr":
| Conjugation | Indicative Vowel | Subjunctive Vowel | Example (1st sg.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (-āre) | -a- | -e- | amem (that I love) |
| 2nd (-ēre) | -e- | -ea- | videam (that I see) |
| 3rd (-ere) | -i- | -a- | dūcam (that I lead) |
| 4th (-īre) | -i- | -ia- | audiam (that I hear) |
| Use | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Jussive | 3rd person command: "let him/them…" | Veniat! — Let him come! |
| Hortatory | 1st person plural: "let us…" | Eāmus! — Let us go! |
| Purpose (ut/nē) | "in order to / so that" | Vēnit ut videat. — He comes in order to see. |
| Wish (utinam) | "would that / if only" | Utinam veniat! — If only he would come! |
| Indirect command | "orders that…" | Imperō ut veniat. — I order that he come. |
1. How is the future tense of 1st/2nd conjugation verbs formed?
2. What does "Eāmus!" mean?
✦ Future: 1st/2nd use -bō/-bis/-bit. 3rd/4th use -am/-ēs/-et. Don't mix them!
✦ Future perfect: perfect stem + -erō/-eris/-erit… "will have done."
✦ Subjunctive = mood for non-facts: wishes, purposes, indirect commands.
✦ Present subjunctive: vowel changes — 1st: a→e, 2nd: e→ea, 3rd: i→a, 4th: i→ia.
✦ Key uses: jussive (let him), hortatory (let us), purpose (ut + subjunctive), wishes (utinam).