09.05.24: review; future tense [1]: Julia: a Latin Reader [1]

The future tense translates as “I shall / will, you will” etc.

Latin forms its future tense in two different ways depending on the conjugation to which a verb belongs.

This post and the next one show the first form which is used with 1st and 2nd conjugation verbs.

Both the 1st and 2nd conjugation verbs do the same: take the infinitive e.g. amāre [1] and habēre [2], get rid of the infinitive ending -re and then add the future tense endings.

1st conjugation

amā│re: love

> amā -

ama│bō: I shall love

ama│bis: you (sg.) will love

ama│bit: he / she / it will love

ama│bimus: we will love

ama│bitis: you will love

ama│bunt: they will love

2nd conjugation

habēre: have

> habē-

habē│bō: I shall have

habē│bis: you (sg.) will have

habē│bit: he / she / it will have

habē│bimus: we will have

habē│bitis: you will have

habē│bunt: they will have

Look at the parts in italics: they are the ‘markers’ for the future tense of these conjugations.

-bō / -bi- / -bu-

Image #1: the endings of the future tense for the first / second conjugation

Image #2: example of the first conjugation verb amō, amāre [1]: love

Image #3: example of the second conjugation verb moneō, monēre [2]: warn

image #4: the irregular verb sum, esse: be; in all three tenses covered so far

The two excerpts below, both from Julia: a Latin Reader (Reed) show the future tense of the first and second conjugation verbs in context. The originals are also posted as images.

[1] “Nunc in caelō et in stēllīs cum patre tuō cēterīsque dīs rēgnābis. Fīlium meum ad caelum portābō."

["Now you will reign in heaven and in the stars with your father and other gods. I will take my son to heaven."]

[2] Sed Rōmulus verbīs benignīs, "Ō Iūlī," inquit, "nūlla est causa timōris. Nunc Quirītēs nūmen meum adōrābunt et Rōmulum Quirīnum vocābunt. Templa et ārās aedificābunt, et ad ārās dōna apportābunt. Semper artem bellī et arma cūrābunt, et corpora in armīs dīligenter exercēbunt. Ita Quirīnus Populum Rōmānum servābit."

[But Romulus, with kind words, said, "O Julius," said, "There is no cause for fear. Now the Quirites* will worship my divine will and will call Romulus Quirinus**. They will build temples and shrines, and will bring gifts to the shrines. They will always take care of the art of war and weapons, and they will diligently train their bodies in weapons. Thus Quirinus will save the Roman people."]

*Quirītēs: a term used to refer to the Roman people

**Quirīnus: the name given to Romulus after he was deified