Imperfect Subjunctive: amarem

Level 5

Take the present infinitive and add the personal endings.

How It Works

Personamareesse
Iamaremessem
you (one)amaresesses
he, she, itamaretesset
weamaremusessemus
you (all)amaretisessetis
theyamarentessent

The other verbs work the same way: habere gives haberem, ducere gives ducerem, capere gives caperem and audire gives audirem. The irregular verbs follow their infinitive too: possem, vellem, ferrem.

Use it after a past main verb: Rogavit quis esset. Use it also in an if sentence about something that is not true now: Si adesses, gauderem (If you were here, I would be glad).

Examples (5)

  1. Rogavit quis esset.

    He asked who he was.

    Esset follows the past verb rogavit.

  2. Marcus ad forum ivit ut Iuliam videret.

    Marcus went to the forum to see Iulia.

    Videret follows the past verb ivit and gives a purpose.

  3. Si pecuniam haberem, villam emerem.

    If I had money, I would buy a villa.

    Haberem and emerem are both imperfect subjunctive.

  4. Cum Romam veniret, Iuliam vidit.

    When he came to Rome, he saw Iulia.

    Cum with the imperfect subjunctive veniret sets the scene.

  5. Si ex hoc mundo esset regnum meum, ministri mei utique decertarent.

    If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would surely fight.

    From John 18:36. Esset and decertarent are both imperfect subjunctive.

Common Mistakes

  • Building the form on the wrong stem.

    Rogavit quid capiret.
    Rogavit quid caperet.

    The imperfect subjunctive is built on the infinitive. The infinitive is capere, so the form is caperet. The stem capi- of capio does not appear here.

How It Connects

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Imperfect Subjunctive: amaremLevel 5

Learn This First

The imperfect subjunctive is the infinitive plus the endings, so the present subjunctive and the infinitives come first.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

amo