CHAPTER 8 ... The Perfect Tense

 2. The following endings may be abstracted:

ENDING	PARSE	TRANSLATION
ī	1st sg. pf.	I (have) -ed
istī	2nd sg. pf.	you (have) -ed
it	3rd sg. pf.	he (has) -ed
imus	1st pl. pf.	we (have) -ed
istis	2nd pl. pf.	you (have) -ed
ērunt	3rd pl. pf.	they (have) -ed

3. Note that dīxī can be translated as “I said” or as “I have said,” but may not be translated as “I was saying.” This is because the perfect denotes an action that is either happening at one point (“I said”) or being completed at one point (“I have said”).

4. Note also that each of the examples above form the perfect stem differently. The perfect stem is formed in several different ways: we may find or v, u, s, ns, ss, x, ps, p, mps, lx or nx. In some verbs the perfect stem is identical to the present stem.

5. Rather than memorize perfect stem formations, it is much wiser to recognize perfect endings.

Exercise 1

Translate the 3^rd p-part.

1. abdō, abdere, abdidī, abditus, hide (something)

2. abdūcō, abdūcere, abdūxī, abductus, take away

3. abeō, abīre, abiī, abitūrus, go away

4. abiciō, abicere, abiēcī, abiectus, throw away

5. abripiō, abripere, abripuī, abreptus, carry off

6. abscīdō, abcīdere, abcīdī, abcīsus, cut off

7. abscindō, abscindere, abscidī, abscissus, tear off

8. absum, abesse, āfuī, āfutūrus, be away

9. absūmō, absūmere, absūmpsī, absūmptus, destroy

10. accendō, accendere, accendī, accēnsus, light (a fire, e.g.)

Exercise 2 Exercise 3

Parse and translate. Translate.

1. Abdidī. 1. They have destroyed.

2. Abdūxistī. 2. He lit [a fire].

3. Abiit. 3. You hid.

4. Abiēcit. 4. She has gone away.

5. Abripuimus. 5. We have thrown away.

6. Abcīdistis. 6. I have carried off.

7. Abscidērunt. 7. I carried off.

8. āfuī. 8. You (pl.) have cut off.