Deponent Verbs

Level 4

Use the passive endings with an active meaning: loquitur means he speaks.

How It Works

Personconor (try)loquor (speak)
Iconorloquor
you (one)conarisloqueris
he, she, itconaturloquitur
weconamurloquimur
you (all)conaminiloquimini
theyconanturloquuntur

Other common deponents are sequor (follow), hortor (urge), vereor (fear) and patior (suffer, allow).

Do not translate loquitur as he is spoken. It means he speaks. These verbs have no active forms for the main tenses. Two parts are active in form: the present participle loquens (speaking) and the future participle locuturus (about to speak).

The infinitive also ends like a passive: loqui (to speak), conari (to try). The next entry shows it with the perfect.

Examples (5)

  1. Marcus Latine loquitur.

    Marcus speaks Latin.

    Loquitur has a passive ending and an active meaning.

  2. Pueri magistrum sequuntur.

    The boys follow the teacher.

    Sequuntur is third person plural of sequor.

  3. Iulia amicos hortatur.

    Iulia encourages her friends.

    Hortatur is third person singular of hortor.

  4. Confiteor Deo omnipotenti.

    I confess to almighty God.

    The first words of the Confiteor. Confiteor is a deponent verb.

  5. Conamur Latine loqui.

    We try to speak Latin.

    Conamur is the first person plural of conor, and loqui is the infinitive of loquor.

Common Mistakes

  • Giving a deponent verb an active ending.

    Loquo Latine.
    Loquor Latine.

    This verb has no active forms for the main tenses. The ending -r is its normal first person ending, and loquor means I speak.

How It Connects

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Deponent VerbsLevel 4

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Deponent verbs use passive endings with an active meaning.

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Words in This Pattern

loquorsequorconor