Second conjugation present
The second conjugation covers many everyday verbs of the senses and the mind - seeing, warning, holding, fearing.
Can recognize Second 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 second conjugation covers many everyday verbs of the senses and the mind - seeing, warning, holding, fearing. Its signature is the long e that you hear in the infinitive -ere: monere (to warn), videre (to see), tenere (to hold), habere (to have). Once you recognize that steady e, these verbs read predictably.
Here is the present tense of moneo (I warn). The e stays visible in every form:
| Person | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | moneo | I warn |
| 2nd sg. | mones | you warn |
| 3rd sg. | monet | he/she/it warns |
| 1st pl. | monemus | we warn |
| 2nd pl. | monetis | you (all) warn |
| 3rd pl. | monent | they warn |
Examples: Magistrum videmus. - We see the teacher. Canem timet. - He fears the dog.
For English speakers: do not confuse this family with the third conjugation, whose infinitive also ends in -ere. The difference is the vowel: here the e is long and stays put (mones, monet, monemus), whereas the third conjugation shows a shifting, short vowel (regis, regit, regimus). If you see the same e holding firm through the whole set, you are in the second conjugation.
Marcus reads.
Example for Second conjugation present.
Julia sees the tablet.
A short A1 sentence with visible endings.
Practice in course
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Try a free exercise from the courseFrequently asked questions
- When is Second conjugation present used?
- The second conjugation covers many everyday verbs of the senses and the mind - seeing, warning, holding, fearing. Its signature is the long e that you hear in the infinitive -ere : monere (to warn), videre (to see), tenere (to hold), habere (to have). Once you recognize that steady e , these verbs read predictably.
- How is Second conjugation present formed?
- Here is the present tense of moneo (I warn). The e stays visible in every form: Examples: Magistrum videmus. - We see the teacher. Canem timet. - He fears the dog. For English speakers: do not confuse this family with the third conjugation, whose infinitive also ends in -ere . The difference is the vowel: here the e is long and stays put ( mones, monet, monemus ), whereas the third conjugation shows a shifting, short vowel ( regis, regit, regimus ). If you see the same e holding firm through the whole set, you are in the second conjugation.