Le Tertia Lection Lesson Three
The Verb
ÒLe verbo es le corde e la alma de qualcuna lingua.Ó
The verb is the heart and soul of any language.
In Latino Moderne there are four types of verbs. They all follow a similar pattern, so donÕt get discouraged if at first it all looks a bit complicated. It is really very simple once you learn a few basic forms. Remember:
Le clave de la cognoscentia es repetition.
The key to knowledge is repetition.
Le clave de la cognoscentia es repetition.
Verbs have person, number, tense, voice and mood. These are five terms grammarians use to analyze the precise meaning of verbal ideas.
1. Person
First person means that the speaker or writer is the one doing the action of the the verb, (singular:ÒIÓ, plural: ÒweÓ).
Second person means that the speaker or writer sees the action as coming from someone with whom he is speaking, (singularÒthouÓ or ÒyouÓ, plural ÒyouÓ).
Third person means that the action of the verb is being done by an indirect party from the speaker, (singular Òhim, her, itÓ, plural ÒtheyÓ).
In English we often use pronouns to show this distinction. In Latino Moderne the verb endings show these relationships with or without accompanying pronouns.
2. Number
Number means either singular or plural. It answers the question, ÒDoes the verb describe the actions or state of one person or thing, or more than one?Ó
Example:
Amo I love [singular, only one (ÒIÓ) is involved in the verbal idea.]
Amamus we love [plural, more than one (ÒweÓ) are involved in the verbal idea.]
3. Tense
The tense of a verb tells us the relationship of the verbal idea to time in the writerÕs or speakerÕs mind. It answers the question, ÒWhen did the action or state described in the verb occure; past, present, or future?Ó
Examples:
Present tense: Amo I love or, I am loving. (the actions is happening now)
Past tense: Amavo I loved (the action is viewed as having already happened)
Future tense: Amaro I shall love (the action hasnÕt happened yet.)
There are several other tenses which will be learned in future lessons.
4. Voice
There are two voices in Latino Moderne verbs: active and passive.
The term voice is used to describe whether the action is viewed as being done by the subject or if it is being done to the subject.
When the subject is viewed as doing the action, the verb is said to be in the active voice.
When the action is viewed as being done to the subject the voice is said to be in the passive voice.
Examples:
Active voice: La catta ama la senioretta.
The cat loves the young lady.
Passive voice: La catta es amate per la senioretta.
The cat is loved by the young lady.
5. Mood
The term mood is used to describe how close to reality the verbal idea is. Is it something that is or has happened, or is the verb expressing a wish or a command?
Indicative, this mood expresses a statement
Subjunctive, this mood is used to express a wish or obligation (the if mood)
Infinitive, this mood is used to express the verbal idea as a thing in itself.
Imperative, this mood is used to express a command or plea.
The first type of verb we will learn is the -AR type verbs. This means that the root or stem of the verb ends in -ar.
Verb amar, to love. from the verbal root stem ama- love
The Present Active Indicative (PAI) forms for amar are:
Amo, Amas, Ama
Amamus, Amais, Aman
singular English Latino
1st I love amo am + o
2nd thou lovest (you love) amas am + as
3rd he, she, it loves ama am + a
plural
1st we love amamus am + amus
2nd you love amais am + ais
3rd they love aman am + an
Thus:
Amo means I love.
Amas means Thou lovest, or, as we would say in modern English, You love.
Ama means He loves, She loves, or It loves.
Amamus means We love.
Amais means You (plural) love.
Aman means They love.
The endings tell you what is the person (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) and what number (singular or plural) the verb has.
Amar is an -AR verb, because its root ends in -ar in the infinitive. (The ÒtoÓ form of the verb. Amar = to love.)
There are two other types of regular verbs. The -ER type and the -IR type.
These are similar to the -AR type, except instead of an a in their endings they have either an e or an i, and only one or two other minor differences.
The second type of verbs, the -ER type, follow the same pattern as dicer, to say.
singular Latino English plural Latino English
1st dico (or) diceo I say 1st dicemus we say
2nd dices you say 2nd diceis you say
3rd dice he/she/it says 3rd dicen they say
(The first singular in -ER verbs may end in -o, or, -eo.)
The third type of verbs are the -IR type which follow the same pattern as audir = to hear.
singular Latino English plural Latino English
1st audio I hear 1st audimus we hear
2nd audias you hear 2nd audiais you hear
3rd audi (or) audia he/she/it hears 3rd audian they hear
The 3rd person Present Active Indicative (PAI) of the -IR type verbs may end in either -i or -ia.
NOTE: With the exception of the the irregular verbs Ser, Haber, Vader and Ir, almost all other verbs in Latino Moderne will follow one of the above patterns in their present tense, and even the irregular verbs generally follow the above patterns.
NOTE: The present tense shows action or condition which takes place in the present time, either in reality, or in the mind of the speaker or writer.
Thus,
Amo may mean I love I am loving, or I do love.
Amas may mean You love You are loving, or You do love.
Dicemus may mean We say We are saying or We do say.
Audian may mean They hear They are hearing, or They do hear.
The idea is that the action is viewed as taking place in present time.
Nouns (not verbs!)
Nouns are made plural by adding -s to them if they end in a vowel, and -es if they end in a consonant.
Le catto, the cat. Le cattos, the cats.
La catta, the cat. Le cattas, the cats
Le can, the dog. Le canes, the dogs
The definite article le is the usual form with plural nouns, but la may be used sometimes with feminine plural nouns, so long as the content of the phrase remains clear. The prepositions a and de combine with the definite article le and form al (a+le), and del (de+le), meaning Òto the...Ó and Òfrom the...Ó respectively.
Vocabulary
amar / to love
patre / father
parola / word
in / in
ina (in + a) / into
dicer / to say
matre / mother
familia / family
o / or
audir / to hear
filio / son
con / with
non / no
trovar / to find
filia / daughter
a / to, towards
ma / but
desirar / to desire
casa / house
in la casa / in the house
in casa / at home
de / from, of
que / that
venir / to come
amico / friend
esque (introduces a question with a yes or no answer.)
si / yes
PRACTICA!
Translate the following:
1. Le patre dice una parola al matre.
2. La matre e le patre aman le filio e la filia.
3. Le filio veni a la casa con le amico.
4. Le amicos desiran trovar le familia de la filia in la casa.
5. Esque le amico ama la filia?
6. La matre con una filia veni de la casa.
7. Dicemus parolas al amicos.
8. Esque desiras audir le parolas de un patre o de un filio?
9. Esque trovais le familia de un amico in casa, si o non?
10. Audio le filios in la casa.
11. Amo un amico, e le amico ama le familia.
12. Dicen le parolas del patre a un filio, ma le filio non desira audir.
13. Le filias venian al casas del amicos ma non trovar le familia.
14. Desiro venir e trovar le parolas del patre in le casa.
15. Esque trovais la casa de la matre?
16. Trovan le parolas ma non le familia.
17. Esque la filia dice un parola al amicos?
18. Un amico venia a la casa audir le parolas de la filia.
19. Audiamus parolas in la casa con le familia, ma non trovamus le amico.
20. Dice que desira trovar le parolas dicer.
1. I love a friend (m).
2. The friends (f) are finding the house of the daughter.
3. Are they saying the words of the son?
4. She wants to come with the mother in the house.
5. Do you (plural) love the cat?
6. The dog is not finding the cat.
7. The cat loves the daughter, and the daughter loves the cat.
8. We are not saying the words of the father to the family at home.
9. Do you (singular) want the cat or the dog in the house?
10. In the friendÕs (m) house I love to hear the words of the family.
Conversation Helpers:
Salute! Hello! Como stas? How are you?
Bon die! Good day! Como vas? How do you do? (lit. How are you going?) Bon matino! Good morning! Multo ben! Very well!
Bon vespere! Good afternoon! Gratias! Thanks!
Bon nocte! Good night! E tu? And you?(familar form used with friends)
Ben venite! Welcome! E vos? And you? (polite form).
Pronunciation Practice:
ÒSi confessamus nostre peccatos, ille es fidel e juste a pardonar nes nostre peccatos, e purificar nes ab omne iniquitate.Ó -Le Prime Epistola de S. Johannes 1:9.
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