19.03.26: Level 3; Subjunctive; introduction (2)

Latin for Learners is a community in which I occasionally share my own experiences with the language and point out common pitfalls—many of which waste time and can make the climb towards mastery seem impossibly steep.

The subjunctive is a prime example. The reflections below, aimed especially at independent learners, apply not only to the subjunctive but to many areas of Latin.

Imagine two chess players discussing a brilliant move by a Grand Master. Neither needs to define what a pawn is; each naturally pitches the conversation at the other’s level. They “mirror” each other.

Image #1: In some Latin discussion groups, this mirroring breaks down. A beginner’s straightforward question is sometimes answered with a dense, highly technical explanation packed with exceptions—useful information in itself, but delivered at the wrong level and at the wrong time.

Image #2

[1] A crucial feature of the subjunctive is that it has a wide range of distinct uses, each with its own traditional name. Unlike, for example, the future tense—which has a relatively straightforward and easily understood function—the subjunctive does not operate in a single, uniform way.

[2] Most writers on Latin grammar follow a set of conventional labels (the image gives some of the common terms and key words you will encounter). However, they may disagree about which particular “box” a given subjunctive belongs in, and some authors group several uses together while others separate them. This can lead to long, detailed, and ultimately time-wasting discussions for a beginner. Similarly, be cautious with digressions such as “there’s an exception,” “you may sometimes find,” or “Plautus occasionally uses…”.
Focus instead on the core features of each subjunctive use, rather than wandering down every side road.

Image #3: The key point — and it has been the key point of every post about this language — is not to be overwhelmed. Don’t try to gather every piece of information about the subjunctive at once. Don’t jump in at the deep end.

The subjunctive matters because it is an integral part of Latin language and literature; it permeates the writing of the authors. One of the first pieces of authentic Latin you may encounter is Catullus 5:

Vīvāmus, mea Lesbia, atque amēmus, │ Let us live, my Lesbia, and let us love,

rūmōrēsque senum sevēriōrum │ and the rumours of rather stern old men

omnēs ūnīus aestimēmus assis! │ let us value them all at just one penny!

All three of the verbs in bold are subjunctives.

All three bold verbs are subjunctives.

Pliny’s first Vesuvius letter to Tacitus opens with two more:

Petis ut tibi avunculī meī exitum scrībam, quō vērius trādere posterīs possīs. │ You ask that I write to you about the death of my uncle, so that you might be able to hand it down more accurately to posterity

In Spielberg’s ‘Jaws’ Quint states: “Sometimes that shark would go away, sometimes he wouldn’t go away.” The subjunctives won’t go away – but they’re only sharks if you let them become so!

The posts are structured as follows:

[i] What is the subjunctive?

The term subjunctive refers not to a tense but to a mood. In broad terms, it expresses ideas such as possibility, intention, potentiality, and hypothetical or unreal situations. These concepts, although initially somewhat vague, are more familiar to speakers of French, German, and Spanish, whose languages retain full sets of subjunctive forms that often parallel Latin usage. English, however, has only remnants of the subjunctive, so we rely on English translations that suggest subjunctive meaning rather than reproduce it directly. The first post will therefore explain how these ideas can be conveyed in English before we turn to the Latin forms themselves.

[ii] The subjunctive has several tenses, each introduced separately, with practice in distinguishing their forms. Because these tenses are employed in different ways, a tense will first be presented in one particular use but will reappear in later posts as additional uses are introduced.

[iii] The uses of the subjunctive—of which there are many—are divided into two broad categories: independent and dependent. These terms are explained, and the uses are presented under each category. However, although such uses can be taught as separate rules, they rarely appear in isolation in real Latin; authors combine them freely. Substantial contextual practice is therefore essential.

[iv] Each use is discussed in detail with textbook examples, short quotations, and simple follow-up exercises. English translations are provided that clearly differentiate the uses, even if they sound a little archaic. Links to video resources are also included.