The third conjugation is home to many of the most common Latin verbs - regere (to rule), legere (to read, to choose), ducere (to lead), dicere (to say
Can recognize Third conjugation present in a short Latin prompt
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
We read Vergil.
The soldiers build a bridge.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The third conjugation is home to many of the most common Latin verbs - regere (to rule), legere (to read, to choose), ducere (to lead), dicere (to say), mittere (to send). Its infinitive ends in -ere with a short first e, and unlike the tidy first and second conjugations, its connecting vowel changes as you move through the persons. Learning that shift is the whole job.
Here is the present tense of rego (I rule):
| Person | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | rego | I rule |
| 2nd sg. | regis | you rule |
| 3rd sg. | regit | he/she/it rules |
| 1st pl. | regimus | we rule |
| 2nd pl. | regitis | you (all) rule |
| 3rd pl. | regunt | they rule |
Examples: Librum lego. - I read a book. Mīlitēs ducunt. - They lead the soldiers.
For English speakers: watch the vowel. After the stem you get -o, -i-, -i-, -i-, -i-, -u-, so the "they" form is regunt, not the "regent" you might expect by analogy with the second conjugation. English keeps one stem and adds "-s" for he/she; Latin instead swaps the linking vowel, and that -unt ending is your reliable flag for a third-conjugation plural.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesWe read Vergil.
Legimus has a short i. It is easily confused with second-conjugation videmus, which has a long e.
The soldiers build a bridge.
Faciunt belongs to the -io subgroup and takes -iunt, not -unt. This is the commonest slip in the conjugation.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises