Year 4C · Grade 8: Periphrastics
Combine a future participle with sum to say about to or must.
What to notice
- active periphrastic
- passive periphrastic
- dative of agent
Explanation
A periphrastic is a roundabout form made of a participle plus sum. The active periphrastic uses the future active participle: Venturus est means he is about to come, or he intends to come. The participle agrees with the subject: puella ventura est, the girl is about to come.
The passive periphrastic uses the gerundive plus sum and shows obligation. Liber legendus est means the book must be read. The person who has to do it goes in the dative, called the dative of agent: Liber mihi legendus est means the book must be read by me, or I must read the book.
Examples
- Venturus est. — He is about to come. Future active participle plus est.
- Puella ventura est. — The girl is about to come. Ventura agrees with puella.
- Liber legendus est. — The book must be read. Gerundive plus est.
- Liber mihi legendus est. — I must read the book. Mihi is dative of agent.
Latin in this lesson
- Venturus est. — the active periphrastic
- Liber legendus est. — the book must be read
- Liber mihi legendus est. — I must read the book.
- amandus — a future passive participle
- amaturus — a future active participle
- legendus est — obligation