Latin tenses

For the formation of the tenses, see Latin conjugation. For Latin tenses from a functional perspective, see Latin tenses (semantics).
Latin grammar

The main Latin tenses can be divided into two groups: the present system (also known as infectum tenses), consisting of the present, future, and imperfect; and the perfect system (also known as perfectum tenses), consisting of the perfect, future perfect, and pluperfect.[1][2][3][4]

To these six main tenses can be added various periphrastic or compound tenses, such as ductūrus sum 'I am going to lead', or ductum habeō 'I have led'.[5] However, these are less commonly used than the six basic tenses.

In addition to the six main tenses of the indicative mood, there are four main tenses in the subjunctive mood and two in the imperative mood. Participles in Latin have three tenses (present, perfect, and future). The infinitive has two main tenses (present and perfect) as well as a number of periphrastic tenses used in reported speech.

Latin tenses do not have exact English equivalents, so that often the same tense can be translated in different ways depending on its context: for example, dūcō can be translated as 'I lead', 'I am leading' or 'I led', and dūxī can be translated as 'I led' and 'I have led'.[6] In some cases Latin makes a distinction which is not made in English: for example, imperfect eram and perfect fuī both mean 'I was' in English, but they differ in Latin.

  1. ^ Kennedy (1962), p. 56.
  2. ^ Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), p. 64.
  3. ^ Allen & Greenough (1903), p. 72.
  4. ^ Haverling (2012), p. 340.
  5. ^ Gildersleeve & Lodge (1895), pp. 88, 160.
  6. ^ cf. Wigtil (1992).