Latin Passive Voice — Formation, Translation and Deponents Explained
The Latin passive voice presents an action from the point of view of the person affected — the subject does not act, but is affected by an action carried out by someone or something else. This article is part of the Learn Latin section of Lapicida and explains formation, translation, the ablative of the agent, and how to tell deponent verbs apart.
- Present passive: endings -or, -ris, -tur, -mur, -mini, -ntur
- Perfect passive: PPP + esse (laudatus sum / laudati sunt)
- a/ab + ablative (living agent) vs. ablative of instrument (things)
- Deponent: passive form — active meaning
How do you form the passive voice in Latin?
The present passive is formed with a special set of personal endings: -or, -ris, -tur, -mur, -mini, -ntur. The perfect passive is a compound form: the perfect passive participle (PPP) + a conjugated form of esse (e.g. laudatus sum = I have been praised). All the remaining tenses follow these two basic principles.
| Tense | Active (amare) | Passive (amari) | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | amo | amor | -or, -ris, -tur… |
| Imperfect | amabam | amabar | -bar, -baris, -batur… |
| Future I | amabo | amabor | -bor, -beris, -bitur… |
| Perfect | amavi | amatus sum | PPP + esse |
| Pluperfect | amaveram | amatus eram | PPP + esse (imperfect) |
| Future II | amavero | amatus ero | PPP + esse (future) |
📸 SCREENSHOT HERE (block can be hidden/replaced): Forms trainer – one passive form (e.g. amatur or laudatus est) with the colour-coded morpheme split. Just the screen, in a row.
Agent and instrument: a/ab + ablative vs. the ablative of instrument
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In the Learn Latin section this is one of the most frequently asked points: with the passive there are two completely different ablative constructions that are often confused.
a/ab + ablative — the agent (a living being): when a living being carries out the action, you always use a/ab + ablative. Miles a duce laudatus est. (The soldier was praised by the commander.) — a duce = by the commander.
Ablative of instrument — a lifeless means (a thing): when a lifeless tool or means is meant, you use the plain ablative without a preposition. Miles gladio vulneratus est. (The soldier was wounded with a sword.) — gladio = with a sword (no a/ab!).
In the original: Caesar writes „Caesar ab exploratoribus certior factus est” (Caes. Gall. 1,21) — “Caesar was informed by scouts”. The passive factus est with a/ab + ablative (ab exploratoribus) marks the agent — exactly as above. In Lapicida you train on original sentences like this, not on invented examples.
| Construction | Preposition | Refers to | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ablative of agent | a/ab | living being | a puero = by the boy |
| Ablative of instrument | none | thing / means | gladio = with a sword |
Rule of thumb: if the answer is “By whom?” → a/ab + ablative (living being). If the answer is “With what?” → plain ablative (thing).
Once you are really secure with the ablative as a participial case, you will also recognise the ablative absolute — one of the most common participial constructions in original Latin texts.
Deponent verbs: passive form with active meaning
Deponent verbs (verba deponentia) are verbs that have “laid aside” their active forms. They exist only in passive forms, but their meaning is active — and for that reason they must never be translated as passives. Because they matter so much, they have their own guide: Latin deponent verbs explained.
| Infinitive | Pres. 3rd sg. | Translation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| hortari | hortatur | he urges (NOT: he is urged) | active-transitive |
| proficisci | proficiscitur | he sets out (NOT: he is set out) | active-intransitive |
| polliceri | pollicetur | he promises | active-transitive |
| egredi | egreditur | he goes out | active-intransitive |
| experiri | experitur | he tries / tests | active-transitive |
📸 SCREENSHOT HERE (block can be hidden/replaced): Sentence quiz – a passive or deponent sentence (e.g. with a/ab + ablative) with the form highlighted in colour. Just the screen, in a row.
Important: the PPP of a deponent has an active meaning: locutus = having spoken (not: having been spoken about). Lapicida’s forms trainer flags deponents separately and drills the active translation on purpose.
The passive is one of many constructions that together make up the Latin grammar system — the Learn Latin overview shows the full picture.
Train the passive and deponents actively
Common mistakes with the Latin passive
- Forgetting a/ab: the preposition is often dropped with the ablative of agent. A living being as a passive agent always needs a/ab.
- Using a/ab with the ablative of instrument: gladio means ‘with a sword’, never ‘a gladio’. Things stand in the plain ablative.
- Translating a deponent as passive: proficiscitur means ‘he sets out’, not ‘he is set out’. Ending ≠ meaning.
- Forgetting PPP agreement: in the perfect passive the PPP agrees with the subject: puella laudata est (not: laudatus).
- The perfect passive as a tense: laudatus est is perfect passive, not a copula + predicate. Translate ‘he has been praised’, not ‘he is praised’.
Frequently asked questions — the Latin passive
How do I recognise the passive in a Latin sentence?
Present passive: endings -or, -ris, -tur, -mur, -mini, -ntur. Perfect passive: PPP + esse. Imperfect passive: -bar, -baris, -batur. The reliable marker in the perfect is the PPP together with a form of esse.
What is the difference between a/ab + ablative and the ablative of instrument?
a/ab + ablative is used for a living being as the agent (‘by the boy’). The ablative of instrument has no preposition and is used for lifeless means (‘with a sword’). Rule of thumb: By whom? → a/ab. With what? → plain ablative.
How do I tell a deponent from a real passive?
Deponent verbs have no active forms in Latin — they appear in the dictionary with a passive form, but the translation is always active. A context test helps: could the action sensibly be passive? For ‘set out’ or ‘promise’ a passive would be semantically absurd.
Train the Latin passive now
About the author
Andreas Blankenstein is the founder of Lapicida Latinus — and dyslexic himself. When he had to catch up on his Latinum in record time, one thing became clear: endless table-cramming fails exactly the people who learn differently. That is why Lapicida trains grammar in the context of real authorial texts, colour-coded and in short steps. More about Andreas and the Lapicida method →
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