How to Participle

If you see… You are in the… That means that the events in the clause happen And should translate it as…
______ the main verb…
Principal Parts 1&2 Present system1 … At the same time as… (Contemporary) “While verbing”
“during X verbing”
Principal Parts 3&4 Perfect system … Before … (Prior) “had/have <been> verbed”
“after X happened”
Anything future Future!!!! … After … “going to verb”
“about to verb”
“intending to verb”
Yes, but how do I translate….
Participles! Active Deponent Passive
Future fixin’ to verb, fixin’ to verb, To be verbed,
4th pp+ur+ -us –a –um about to verb about to verb Must be verbed2
(-us –a –um endings) amaturus = fixin’ to love 4th pp+ur+ -us –a –um 1pp + ndus –a –um
Locuturus = fixin’ to speak Amandus = to be loved
Present (same time as the main verb) (while) verbing (while) verbing
Present stem + -ns, -ntis amans = while loving loquens = while speaking
(3rd declension endings) amantes loquentes
Perfect (Before the main verb) Having verbed (be)Verbed (beloved, toasted)
4th pp After s/he verbed Having verbed
(-us –a –um endings) S/he verbed, then… After s/he verbed, …
Locutus = having spoken S/he verbed, then…
amatus = beloved, He was
loved, then…

Ablative absolutes come in two tenses and are just a fancy circumstantial ablative, usually the ablative time when.3
Present abl. absolute = "While the noun is/was verbing"

Perfect abl. absolute = "After the noun has/had been verbed"

Perfect abl. absolute deponent = "After the noun has/had verbed."

You can sometimes begin an AA with “Since” or “Although,” much like a cum + subjunctive clause.

Ablative Absolute Pro-tip: ablative absolutes are their own little clause, so treat them like an independent clause. The
clause usually begins and ends with the two ablatives (noun and participle), so think of them as brackets for whatever
stuff is between them. Translate them, then move on with the main sentence.
Caesare ā Brutō gladiō Romae ante omnes trucidatō libertas restituta est.
After Caesar had been killed by Brutus with a sword in Rome in front of everybody liberty was restored.

Short version of Latin Participles:

Future participle = “about to”
Present participle = “while”
Perfect participle = “after”

1
- Future comes from sum, esse, fui, futurus.
- Present comes from prae+est = praesens = ‘being in front of.’ The 3rd declension genitive of that is ‘Praesentis’
- Perfect comes from perficio, perficere, perfeci, perfectus. Mind blown?
2
You will learn this next semester, but need not worry about it now.
3
You have seen Circumstantial ablatives used for manner, time (ablative of time when) and description. Eg.
“Gladiō strictō Quinus currit = Quintus runs with his sword drawn (manner)”
“Primā luce proficiscitur. He sets out at first light. (time)”
“Animal nasō magnō est elephans = The animal with a big nose is an elephant. (description)”
 Exercises with participles:
Vocab used:
Caesar caesaris m. = Caesar Neco -are necavi necatum = kill, slay
Venio -ire vēni ventum = come Gaudeo -ere (no pp #3)4 gavisum = rejoice
Galli -orum = Gauls Trans + eo = transeo transire transivi transitum = cross, go over
Velociraptor velociraptoris f. = velociraptor Vinco -ere vici victum = conquer
Coemo, -ere coemi coemptum = buy, purchase Laete = happily
Bellum -I n. = war Dormio -ire dormivi dormitum = sleep
Duco -ere duxi ductum = lead Amplector amplectari amplexum = hug, cuddle, snuggle

Translate from Latin to English…

1. Caesare veniente, Galli velociraptores coemerunt.

2. Velociraptores coemptae a Gallis in bellum ductae sunt.

3. Velociraptores Caesarem necaturae trans Alpas Montes cum Gallis gaudentibus transibant.

4. Velociraptores Caesarem necantes Galli duxerunt.

5. Caesare victo, Galli velociraptores laete dormientes amplexi sunt.5

Now translate from English to Latin:

6. While Caesar was crossing the alps, the velociraptor, fixin’ to kill Romans, waited (maneo) in Gaul.

7. The Gauls, having been frightened (terreo) by Caesar, no longer feared velociraptors.

8. The velociraptors, intending to eat Romans, found the Gauls fighting in the mountains.

9. Germans, since6 almost daily battles have been fought, do not fear warring7 velociraptors.

10. After the Germans had been eaten by velociraptors, Caesar conquered the land across the Rhine.

4
Verbs like this are semi-deponent; they are normal when you’re using the first 2 principal parts, but deponent in the perfect. You
know one other like this – audeo -ere ausum
5
Amplector –ari = “hug” (deponent)
6
Use an ablative absolute; you don’t need a Latin word for “since.”
7
Use bello bellare = “to fight wars”