Fourth conjugation present
The fourth conjugation is small but includes verbs you meet constantly - audire (to hear), venire (to come), dormire (to sleep), scire (to know).
Can recognize Fourth conjugation present in a short Latin prompt
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Marcus reads.
Julia sees the tablet.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The fourth conjugation is small but includes verbs you meet constantly - audire (to hear), venire (to come), dormire (to sleep), scire (to know). Its mark is the long i in the infinitive ending -ire, and that i stays loud and clear through the present tense.
Here is the present tense of audio (I hear):
| Person | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | audio | I hear |
| 2nd sg. | audis | you hear |
| 3rd sg. | audit | he/she/it hears |
| 1st pl. | audimus | we hear |
| 2nd pl. | auditis | you (all) hear |
| 3rd pl. | audiunt | they hear |
Examples: Vocem audio. - I hear a voice. Amici veniunt. - The friends are coming.
For English speakers: the trap is the "they" form. You might expect "audint", but the fourth conjugation slips in an extra u: the ending is -iunt, giving audiunt, veniunt. Remember too that the single Latin present covers three English shades - venit means "he comes", "he is coming", and "he does come" - so choose the English that fits the sentence; Latin does not spell out that difference.
Marcus reads.
Example for Fourth conjugation present.
Julia sees the tablet.
A short A1 sentence with visible endings.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises