Participles

A participle is a verbal adjective, meaning it functions as an adjective but is derived from a verb and retains some verbal qualities (like tense and voice).

1. Present Active Participle (PAP)

• Formation: Formed from the present stem (derived from the 1st or 2nd principal part) + $-ns, -ntis$ (for 3rd conjugation verbs, it's present stem + $-ens, -entis$ ).

  • For 1st/2nd conjugations, take the present stem and add $-ns$ for nominative singular, $-ntis$ for genitive singular.

  • For 3rd/3rd-io/4th conjugations, take the present stem (infinitive minus $-re$) and add $-ens$ (for 3rd) or $-iens$ (for 3rd-io/4th) for nominative singular, $-entis$ or $-ientis$ for genitive singular.

• Meaning: "verbing" or "while verbing" (simultaneous action).

• Declension: Declines like a 3rd declension adjective with one ending, following the pattern of felix, felicis. In the ablative singular, it ends in $-e$ when modifying a noun, but $-i$ when used as a noun.

• Example: laudans, laudantis (praising, while praising) from laudo, laudare.

2. Perfect Passive Participle (PPP)

• Formation: Formed from the 4th principal part of a verb.

  • For example, laudatus, -a, -um from laudo, laudare, laudavi, laudatus.

• Meaning: "having been verbed" (completed action before the main verb).

• Declension: Declines like a 1st/2nd declension adjective (e.g., bonus, bona, bonum).

• Example: auditus, -a, -um (having been heard) from audio, audire.

3. Future Active Participle (FAP)

• Formation: Formed from the 4th principal part (PPP stem) by replacing the $-us$ ending with $-ur$ and then adding 1st/2nd declension adjective endings.

  • Take the 4th principal part (PPP), drop the $-us$, add $-ur$, and then add $-us, -a, -um$ endings.

  • For example, laudaturus, -a, -um from laudo, laudare, laudavi, laudatus.

• Meaning: "about to verb", "going to verb", "intending to verb" (future action relative to the main verb).

• Declension: Declines like a 1st/2nd declension adjective.

• Example: scripturus, -a, -um (about to write) from scribo, scribere.

4. Future Passive Participle (FPP) / Gerundive

• Formation: Formed from the present stem (derived from the 1st or 2nd principal part) + $-ndus, -nda, -ndum$ .

  • For 1st/2nd conjugations, take the present stem and add $-ndus, -nda, -ndum$ .

  • For 3rd/3rd-io/4th conjugations, take the present stem (infinitive minus $-re$) and add $-endus, -enda, -endum$ or $-iendus, -ienda, -iendum$ .

  • For example, laudandus, -a, -um from laudo, laudare.

• Meaning:

  • As a simple future passive participle: "about to be verbed" (rarely used this way).

  • More commonly as a gerundive of obligation: "must be verbed", "fit to be verbed", "deserving to be verbed". It expresses necessity or obligation.

• Declension: Declines like a 1st/2nd declension adjective.

• Example: legenda, -ae (things to be read / reading list); Urbs delenda est. (The city must be destroyed.) from deleo, delere.