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Latin reference
Latin Conjugations Chart
A paradigm reference for the four verb families: principal parts, present active endings, and the conjugation cues students use to build forms.
Verb map
Conjugation families
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd -io, and 4th
Present active endings
the shared person-number pattern
Principal parts
the source for every verb form
Paradigm chart, not tense theory
This page focuses on how Latin verb families form their paradigms: conjugation labels, principal parts, stems, and present active endings. For what each tense means in English and when to translate it as present, was doing, will do, did, had done, or will have done, use the guide below.
Latin Verb Tenses guidePrincipal Parts — your starting point
Every Latin verb has four principal parts. Memorizing them gives you every other form of the verb. Example: amo, amare, amavi, amatum.
- 1st: Present active indicative 1st person singular (“I love”) — shows the conjugation vowel pattern.
- 2nd: Present active infinitive (“to love”) — tells you which conjugation the verb belongs to.
- 3rd: Perfect active indicative 1st person singular (“I loved”) — gives you the perfect stem for all perfect-system forms.
- 4th: Perfect passive participle (“having been loved”) — gives you the supine stem for passive-system and participle forms.
First Conjugation — Infinitive -are
Principal parts: amo, amare, amavi, amatum (to love)
Present stem: amā-
Key patterns
- By far the largest conjugation. Most Latin verbs are first conjugation.
- Allen & Greenough present stem: drop -re from the infinitive (amāre → amā-). The stem already carries the long ā.
- Attach the person endings -o, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt. First singular contracts: amā- + -o → amō (amamus, amabamus keep the ā).
- Common examples: amare (to love), laudare (to praise), portare (to carry), vocare (to call), stare (to stand).
Second Conjugation — Infinitive -ere (long e)
Principal parts: moneo, monere, monui, monitum (to warn)
Present stem: monē-
Key patterns
- Characteristic vowel: long ē. The infinitive ends in -ēre (distinguishing it from third conjugation's short e).
- Allen & Greenough present stem: drop -re from monēre → monē-. The stem already ends in ē, so you do not add a second -eō onto a consonant stub.
- Person endings attach to that stem: moneō, monēs, monet, monēmus. Perfect forms can vary (monui, vidi, habui).
- Most second-conjugation verbs deal with states or ideas: monere (to warn), videre (to see), habere (to have), timere (to fear), manere (to remain).
Third Conjugation — Infinitive -ere (short e)
Principal parts: rego, regere, rexi, rectum (to rule)
Present stem: rege-
Key patterns
- Allen & Greenough present stem: drop -re from regere → rege-. The short e is unstable: 1sg drops it before -o (regō); other forms use -i- or -u- (regimus, regunt).
- The infinitive looks like second conjugation but the short e is the tell — and the present 'I' form ends in -o not -eo.
- Third conjugation is where verbs get irregular. Perfect stems are often quite different from present stems.
- Examples: regere (to rule), ducere (to lead), mittere (to send), scribere (to write), dicere (to say).
Third Conjugation -io Verbs
Principal parts: capio, capere, cepi, captum (to take, seize)
Present stem: cape-
Key patterns
- Allen & Greenough present stem: drop -re from capere → cape-. A small hybrid group: 3rd by the infinitive, 4th-like in some forms.
- First person singular inserts i before -o (capiō), and 3rd person plural present ends in -iunt (capiunt).
- Henle Latin and Memoria Press both treat this as a special case you memorize.
- Examples: capere (to take), facere (to make/do), fugere (to flee), iacere (to throw), rapere (to seize).
Fourth Conjugation — Infinitive -ire
Principal parts: audio, audire, audivi, auditum (to hear)
Present stem: audī-
Key patterns
- Allen & Greenough present stem: drop -re from audīre → audī-. The long ī is already on the stem (audīmus, audiēbāmus).
- Person endings attach to that stem: audiō, audīs, audit. Do not add a second -i- onto a stub like aud-.
- Very regular once you understand the vowel pattern.
- Examples: audire (to hear), venire (to come), scire (to know), dormire (to sleep), sentire (to feel).
Present Tense Endings by Conjugation
The same 6 person endings attach to the present stem, which already includes the characteristic vowel (amā-, monē-, rege-, cape-, audī-). Do not add a second theme vowel. Third conjugation then shifts that short e (regō, regimus, regunt).
| Person | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd -io | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg (I) | -o | -o | -o | -o | -o |
| 2nd sg (you) | -s | -s | -s | -s | -s |
| 3rd sg (he/she/it) | -t | -t | -t | -t | -t |
| 1st pl (we) | -mus | -mus | -mus | -mus | -mus |
| 2nd pl (you all) | -tis | -tis | -tis | -tis | -tis |
| 3rd pl (they) | -nt | -nt | -nt | -nt | -nt |
Practice these conjugations
Use the chart as the map, then practice recalling the forms before the answer is visible. That is where the endings start to stick.
Common questions about Latin conjugations
How many Latin conjugations are there?
Latin has 4 conjugations (verb groups), plus a small hybrid called the 3rd -io group. The conjugation is identified by the infinitive ending: -are (1st), -ēre long e (2nd), -ere short e (3rd), and -ire (4th).
What are the four principal parts of a Latin verb?
Every Latin verb has four principal parts: the 1st-person present (amo), the present infinitive (amare), the 1st-person perfect (amavi), and the perfect passive participle (amatum). Memorize them and you can build every other form.
What is the difference between 2nd and 3rd conjugation Latin verbs?
Both have infinitives ending in -ere, but the 2nd conjugation has a LONG e (monēre) while the 3rd has a SHORT e (regere). The other tell is the 1st person: 2nd ends in -eo (moneo), 3rd ends in -o (rego).
What is the present stem of a Latin verb?
Drop the -re from the present infinitive to find the present stem. For amāre (1st conjugation, 'to love'), the stem is amā-; for monēre (2nd, 'to warn'), the stem is monē-; for audīre (4th, 'to hear'), the stem is audī-.
Should I use this page or the Latin verb tenses page?
Use this page when you need the four conjugation families, principal parts, stems, and present active endings. Use the Latin verb tenses page when you need what present, imperfect, future, perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect mean in translation.
What are the present tense endings in Latin?
All conjugations share the same person endings: -o/-m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt. Only the stem vowel changes: 1st uses -a- (amamus), 2nd uses -e- (monemus), 3rd uses -i-/-u- (regimus, regunt), 4th uses -i- (audimus).
Want to see these verbs in action? Walk into the Hall of Echoes →