The Verb Sum, Esse (To be) and A few Indeclinable Words.

One of the most important verbs in any language is the verb to be. Because it is so widely used, it is often less regular in formation than most verbs. This is likewise true in Latin.

Here is the verb in two tenses. First the present tense, and then the imperfect tense, which is the most common past tense the verb is used in.

Present tense

sum I am sumus we are
es you are estis you pl. are
est he/she/it is sunt they are
esse (infinitive) to be    

Imperfect tense.
 

eram I was eramus we were
eras you were eratis you pl. were
erat he/she/it was erant they were
esse (infinitive) to be    

While these two tenses seem pretty irregular, they really are not. Notice how the endings are rather to verb endings you have had before. Thus:
 

amo sum eram
amas es eras
amat est erat
amamus sumus eramus
amatis estis eratis
amant sunt erant

Click here to go to a drill over forming and translating these two tenses of the verb sum.
 
 

The most common use of the verb to be is to link two nouns or a noun and adjective, sort of like the '=' sign. Thus:
 

Marcia poeta est. Marcia is a poet Incolae Galliae non sumus. We are not inhabitants of Gaul.
Galba erat nauta.  Galba was a sailor.  Poeta non eras. You were not a poet. 
Gallia est provincia. Gallia is a province. Filia Marciae non est. She is not the daughter of Marcia.
Feminae sunt ancillae. The women are maids.  In Roma non eram. I was not in Rome.

But the verb can also be used in the sense of "to exist, to be". Thus
 

Casae in silvā sunt There are cottages in the forest. 
Puella sub mensā est. The girl is under the table. 
Poeta extra portam est. The poet is beyond the gate.
Marcella apud Claudiam erat. Marcella was at the house of Claudia. 

Remember, the verbs coeptare, imperare, and optare, which often took an infinitive? (Click here if you
want to return to that page) 


 

Translate: Puella lavare coeptat.
Translate: Matrona ancillae laborare imperat.
Translate: Maria ambulare optat.

The verb to be combined with certain indeclinable words has a similar function. These words are indeclinable because they have the same form in all cases. Here are three common and useful indeclinable words.
 

fas right, proper Fas est amare. It is right to love.
nefas wrong, improper Nefas est necare It is wrong to kill.
necesse necessary Necesse est laborare It is necessary to work. 

Often there is a dative showing to whom something is right, wrong or necessary. Thus:
 

Fas poetis deam laudare est.  It is right for the poets to praise the goddess. 
Nefas Catalinae provinciam occupare est. It is wrong for Catalina to seize the province. 
Necesse agricolis ad Romam ambulare erat. It was necessary for the farmers to walk to Rome. 

Here are twelve sentences to test this concept. Here are a few new vocabulary words too.
 

faba, fabae f.  bean
olla, ollae f.  pot
stola, stolae f. stola, stole, a long upper garment worn by women
vinea, vineae f.  vineyard
Here are twenty simple sentences to translate. Please (so that it will be easier for the javascript to give credit for all correct answers,) put direct objects before indirect objects where they occur and use standard English word order. Put a period after the end of sentences and begin with a capitalized word. If there is a second plural verb form, (such as lavatis) translate it as 'you pl. wash'. And, even though it is proper English, do not use the 's as in the farmer's daughter or contractions like don't. Javascript sometimes has problems with too many apostrophes. Also, do not put more than one space between words. When you have written your translation in the space provided, click the Check button. And you can use the dictionary in the frame below if you do not know the definition of a word.
1. Creta est insula. (Creta = Crete). 
2. Sicilia est provincia (Sicilia = Sicily). 
3.Marcia erat apud Juliam. 
4. In Asia non eramus. 
5. Disciplina erat causa victoriae. 
6. Diligentiam amare fas est. 
7. Necesse est festinare. 
8. Nefas est audaciam amare. 
9. Filia Cinnae es. 
10. Poeta non eram. 
11. In villa copia pecuniae erat. 
12. Messalae ad Graeciam navigare necesse est . 
13. Fabae in olla sunt. 
14. Matronis orare fas est. 
15. In vinea non eratis.
16. Nefas est clementiam non probare. 
17. Stola et corona in urna sunt. 
18. Taedae supra scalas erant. 
19. Propter moram, festinare necesse est 
20. Reginae superbiam nautarum tolerare nefas est. 


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