Deponent Verbs

What is a deponent verb?

• Deponent comes from the Latin word depono- to put aside
• Deponent verbs "put aside" their active forms
• Deponent verbs have passive forms, but translate actively.

Examples

• spectatores de arcu novo loquebantur.
• cur ex urbe subito egressi estis?
• uxor hortata est ut tecum dicere.

Examples (cont.)

• forum Romanum nunc ingredimur.
• poenas minor nisi verum loqueris.

Present Tense

• hortor, horari hortatus sum- to urge
• hortor- I urge
• hortaris- you urge
• hortatur- s/he urges
• hortamur- we urge
• hortamini- y'all urge
• hortantur- they urge

Imperfect Tense

• hortabar- I was urging
• hortabaris- you were urging
• hortabatur- s/he was urging
• hortabamur- we were urging
• hortabamini- y'all were urging
• hortabantur- they were urging

Perfect tense

• hortatus sum- I urged
• hortatus es- you urged
• hortatus est- s/he urged
• hortati sumus- we urged
• hortati estis- y'all urged
• hortati sunt- they urged

Pluperfect Tense

• hortatus eram- I had urged
• hortatus eras- you had urged
• hortatus erat- s/he had urged
• hortati eramus- we had urged
• hortati eratis- y'all had urged
• hortati erant- they had urged