The Supine: petitum, dictu
Supine in -um: go in order to do. Supine in -u: easy, hard or wonderful to do.
How It Works
| Form | After | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -um | a verb of motion | legatos misit pacem petitum (he sent ambassadors to ask for peace) |
| -u | facile, difficile, mirabile | facile dictu (easy to say) |
| -u | a few other adjectives | horribile visu (terrible to see) |
The supine in -um is the same form as the accusative of a fourth declension noun, and the supine in -u is the same as its ablative. The supine has only these two forms.
To find the supine, look up the fourth principal part of the verb: peto gives petitum, and dico gives dictum.
Examples (5)
- Legatos misit pacem petitum.
He sent ambassadors to ask for peace.
Petitum is a supine in -um. It follows the verb misit and takes the object pacem.
- Marcus in forum venit panem emptum.
Marcus came to the forum to buy bread.
Emptum is a supine in -um after venit, with the object panem.
- Facile dictu, difficile factu.
Easy to say, hard to do.
Dictu and factu are supines in -u after the adjectives facile and difficile.
- Mirabile dictu!
Wonderful to tell!
A well-known phrase. Dictu is a supine in -u.
- Pastores Bethlehem venerunt puerum adoratum.
The shepherds came to Bethlehem to worship the child.
Adoratum is a supine in -um after the verb of motion venerunt.
Common Mistakes
Using the -u supine for a purpose.
Legatos misit pacem petitu.Legatos misit pacem petitum.The supine in -u goes with adjectives such as facile. After a verb of motion, the purpose supine ends in -um.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The supine is a verb form built from the fourth dictionary form.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice The Supine: petitum, dictu in Bubblegum
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