Present Subjunctive: sim, sis, sit

Present Subjunctive of Sum

Level 5

Learn sim, sis, sit, simus, sitis, sint.

How It Works

Personindicativesubjunctive
Isumsim
you (one)essis
he, she, itestsit
wesumussimus
you (all)estissitis
theysuntsint

Sit expresses a wish on its own: Sit nomen Domini benedictum means May the name of the Lord be blessed. It also follows ut and question words: Rogo quis sit asks who he is.

Note that the stem is si-, not e-. The forms sim and sum look alike, so read the vowel.

Compounds of sum follow it: absim (I may be away), adsim (I may be present) and possim (I may be able).

Examples (5)

  1. Utinam laetus sis!

    May you be happy!

    Utinam with the subjunctive sis is a wish.

  2. Rogo quis sit.

    I ask who he is.

    Sit follows the question word quis in a reported question.

  3. Sit nomen Domini benedictum.

    May the name of the Lord be blessed.

    From Psalm 112:2. Sit is a wish.

  4. Sit tibi terra levis.

    May the earth be light on you.

    A wish on a Roman gravestone.

  5. Ut omnes unum sint.

    That they may all be one.

    From John 17:21. Sint follows ut.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the indicative in a reported question.

    Rogo quis est.
    Rogo quis sit.

    Rogo quis est can be read as two statements: I ask, who is he? To say I ask who he is, use the subjunctive: sit.

How It Connects

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

Present Subjunctive: sim, sis, sitLevel 5Present Subjunctive of Sum

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Sim, sis, sit is the subjunctive of to be.

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Words in This Pattern

sum