Imperfect Passive: amabar

Level 4

Imperfect stem plus -ba- plus a passive ending.

How It Works

PersonLatinEnglish
IamabarI was loved
you (one)amabarisyou were loved
he, she, itamabaturhe was loved
weamabamurwe were loved
you (all)amabaminiyou were loved
theyamabanturthey were loved

The other conjugations follow their active imperfect: habebar, ducebar, capiebar, audiebar.

The English can be was loved, was being loved or used to be loved: Marcus a patre amabatur says that Marcus was loved by his father.

For something that happened once and was finished, use the perfect passive: Marcus a patre amatus est.

Examples (5)

  1. Marcus a patre amabatur.

    Marcus was loved by his father.

    Amabatur is the third person singular imperfect passive.

  2. Puellae a magistra docebantur.

    The girls were being taught by the teacher.

    Docebantur is the third person plural imperfect passive of doceo.

  3. Liber a Livia legebatur.

    The book was being read by Livia.

    Legebatur is the imperfect passive of lego.

  4. Oves a pastore custodiebantur.

    The sheep were guarded by the shepherd.

    Custodiebantur is the imperfect passive of custodio.

  5. Psalmi in ecclesia cantabantur.

    Psalms were sung in the church.

    Cantabantur is the imperfect passive of canto.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the future ending -bor for the past.

    A patre amabor.
    A patre amabar.

    Amabor ends in -bor and is the future: I will be loved. The imperfect passive ends in -bar. The intended meaning was: I was loved by my father.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Imperfect Passive: amabarLevel 4

Learn This First

The imperfect passive is the imperfect with passive endings.

Words in This Pattern

amo