Latin Conjugation - Perfective Aspect Tenses

Perfective Aspect Tenses

The tenses of the perfective aspect, which are the perfect, pluperfect and future perfect tenses, are used to express actions that have been, had been, or will have been completed. The verbs used for explanation are:

1st Conjugation: portō, portāre, portāvī, portātum – to carry, bring
2nd Conjugation: terreō, terrēre, terruī, territum – to frighten, deter
3rd Conjugation: petō, petere, petīvī, petītum – to seek, attack
4th Conjugation: audiō, audīre, audīvī, audītum – to hear, listen (to)

To find the stem for the third principal part in all of the conjugations, the –ī is removed from it. For example, from portāvī, portāv is formed. This is the perfect stem, and it is used for all of the tenses in the perfective aspect. The perfective aspect verbs also use the perfect passive participle in the passive voice. See below to see how it is formed. Along with these participles, the verb esse, which means, "to be", is used.

Unlike the imperfective aspect, inflection does not deviate from conjugation to conjugation.

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