Year 4C · Grade 8: Impersonal Verbs
Learn verbs that stay in the third person singular: oportet, decet, licet, videtur, and necesse est.
What to notice
- impersonal verbs
- accusative or dative with an infinitive
- third person singular
Explanation
Some Latin verbs do not name a person who acts. They stay in the third-person singular and describe a situation. Oportet means it is right, or someone ought. Decet means it is fitting. Licet means it is allowed. Necesse est means it is necessary. Videtur means it seems.
Oportet and decet take an accusative plus an infinitive: Oportet nos manere, we ought to stay. Licet and necesse est usually take a dative plus an infinitive: Licet tibi ludere, you may play. Do not hunt for a plural form. The impersonal verb itself does not become oportent.
Examples
- Oportet nos manere. — We ought to stay. Nos is accusative. Manere is the infinitive.
- Decet vos tacere. — It is fitting for you to be quiet. Decet also takes the accusative plus an infinitive.
- Licet tibi ludere. — You may play. Tibi is dative: it is allowed for you.
- Necesse est mihi exire. — I must leave. Mihi is dative with necesse est.
- Videtur mihi. — It seems to me. The dative shows whose opinion it is.
Latin in this lesson
- Oportet nos manere. — We ought to stay.
- Decet militem fortem esse. — It is fitting for a soldier to be brave.
- Licet tibi ludere. — you may play.
- Necesse est nobis discedere. — We must leave.
- Videtur mihi. — it seems to me.
- oportet — it stays third-person singular