Perfects in -vi and -ui

Level 3

Two easy ways to build a perfect stem.

How It Works

PresentPerfectEnglish
amoamaviI loved
ploroploraviI wept
audioaudiviI heard
habeohabuiI had
teneotenuiI held
moneomonuiI warned

The second conjugation drops its e before the u: habeo gives habui, with a u and no v.

Other verbs follow the same patterns: laudo gives laudavi, timeo gives timui and dormio gives dormivi. Always check the third dictionary form, because a few verbs in these families break the pattern.

The v of -vi sounds like w in classical Latin and like v in Church Latin, so amavi is ah-MAH-wee or ah-MAH-vee.

Examples (5)

  1. Iulia Marcum audivit.

    Iulia heard Marcus.

    Audivit is the fourth conjugation perfect: audiv- plus -it.

  2. Marcus librum habuit.

    Marcus had a book.

    Habuit is the second conjugation perfect: habu- plus -it.

  3. Puella multum ploravit.

    The girl cried a lot.

    Ploravit is the first conjugation perfect.

  4. Magister puerum monuit.

    The teacher warned the boy.

    Monuit is the second conjugation perfect of moneo.

  5. Deus mundum creavit.

    God created the world.

    Creavit is the first conjugation perfect of creare.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -v- with a second conjugation verb.

    Marcus librum habevit.
    Marcus librum habuit.

    Habeo makes its perfect with -u-: habui, habuit.

  • Using -u- with a first conjugation verb.

    Iulia cantuit.
    Iulia cantavit.

    Canto is first conjugation, so the perfect uses -v-: cantavit.

How It Connects

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

Perfects in -vi and -uiLevel 3

Learn This First

This is the most common way to make a perfect stem, after the endings.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.