Scribo: To Write | Latin Grammar

Scrībō means “write,” “compose,” “record,” or “enroll.” Its principal parts are scrībō, scrībere, scrīpsī, scrīptum. Present scrīb-, perfect scrīps-, and supine scrīpt- must be learned separately.

The written thing is accusative. The recipient is commonly dative; ad plus accusative can foreground direction, and dē plus ablative introduces a topic.

Active Paradigms

Tense	1sg	2sg	3sg	1pl	2pl	3pl
Present	scrībō	scrībis	scrībit	scrībimus	scrībitis	scrībunt
Imperfect	scrībēbam	scrībēbās	scrībēbat	scrībēbāmus	scrībēbātis	scrībēbant
Future	scrībam	scrībēs	scrībet	scrībēmus	scrībētis	scrībent
Perfect	scrīpsī	scrīpsistī	scrīpsit	scrīpsimus	scrīpsistis	scrīpsērunt / scrīpsēre
Pluperfect	scrīpseram	scrīpserās	scrīpserat	scrīpserāmus	scrīpserātis	scrīpserant
Future perfect	scrīpserō	scrīpseris	scrīpserit	scrīpserimus	scrīpseritis	scrīpserint

Subjunctive	1sg	2sg	3sg	1pl	2pl	3pl
Present	scrībam	scrībās	scrībat	scrībāmus	scrībātis	scrībant
Imperfect	scrīberem	scrīberēs	scrīberet	scrīberēmus	scrīberētis	scrīberent
Perfect	scrīpserim	scrīpserīs	scrīpserit	scrīpserīmus	scrīpserītis	scrīpserint
Pluperfect	scrīpsissem	scrīpsissēs	scrīpsisset	scrīpsissēmus	scrīpsissētis	scrīpsissent

Lūcia epistulam scrībit.

Lucia is writing a letter.

Poēta carmen scrībēbat.

The poet was composing a poem.

Crās tibi scrībam.

Tomorrow I shall write to you.

Cōnsul omnia ad senātum scrīpsit.

The consul wrote everything to the senate.

Passive Voice

Tense	1sg	2sg	3sg	1pl	2pl	3pl
Present	scrībor	scrīberis / scrībere	scrībitur	scrībimur	scrībiminī	scrībuntur
Imperfect	scrībēbar	scrībēbāris / scrībēbāre	scrībēbātur	scrībēbāmur	scrībēbāminī	scrībēbantur
Future	scrībar	scrībēris / scrībēre	scrībētur	scrībēmur	scrībēminī	scrībentur
Present subj.	scrībar	scrībāris / scrībāre	scrībātur	scrībāmur	scrībāminī	scrībantur
Imperfect subj.	scrīberer	scrīberēris / scrīberēre	scrīberētur	scrīberēmur	scrīberēminī	scrīberentur

The shorter second-person singular forms in -re are genuine passive alternatives. In particular, present passive scrībere “you are written/enrolled” has the same shape as the active infinitive and passive imperative; syntax must distinguish them.

The completed passive tenses use scrīptus, -a, -um with forms of sum. The participle agrees with what was written or enrolled, not with the author. The table displays masculine forms; substitute the gender and number required by the subject.

Tense	1sg	2sg	3sg	1pl	2pl	3pl
Perfect indicative	scrīptus sum	scrīptus es	scrīptus est	scrīptī sumus	scrīptī estis	scrīptī sunt
Pluperfect indicative	scrīptus eram	scrīptus erās	scrīptus erat	scrīptī erāmus	scrīptī erātis	scrīptī erant
Future perfect indicative	scrīptus erō	scrīptus eris	scrīptus erit	scrīptī erimus	scrīptī eritis	scrīptī erunt
Perfect subjunctive	scrīptus sim	scrīptus sīs	scrīptus sit	scrīptī sīmus	scrīptī sītis	scrīptī sint
Pluperfect subjunctive	scrīptus essem	scrīptus essēs	scrīptus esset	scrīptī essēmus	scrīptī essētis	scrīptī essent

Forms built with fuī, fueram, or fuerō also occur as alternatives to the default completed-passive paradigm. Thus epistula scrīpta est is feminine singular, but carmina scrīpta sunt is neuter plural.

Carmina ante certāmen scrīpta erant.

The poems had been written before the competition.

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Do not translate every perfect passive with English “has been.” Latin perfect can report a simple completed past: epistula scrīpta est may simply mean “the letter was written.”

Longa epistula ā Lūciā scrībitur.

A long letter is being written by Lucia.

Lēx in tabulā scrīpta est.

The law was written on a tablet.

Imperatives and Non-Finite Forms

Present commands are scrībe, scrībite; passive scrībere, scrībiminī. The future imperative, especially at home in statutes, maxims, and instructions with future reference, has active scrībitō (second or third singular), scrībitōte (second plural), and scrībuntō (third plural); passive scrībitor (second or third singular) and scrībuntor (third plural). Latin has no ordinary second-plural future passive imperative.

Scrībe mihi quam prīmum.

Write to me as soon as possible.

Category	Active	Passive
Present infinitive	scrībere	scrībī
Perfect infinitive	scrīpsisse	scrīptum esse
Future infinitive	scrīptūrum esse	scrīptum īrī
Participles	scrībēns; scrīptūrus	scrīptus; scrībendus
Gerund	scrībendī, scrībendō, scrībendum, scrībendō	—
Supines	scrīptum, scrīptū	—

Dīxit sē librum scrīpsisse.

He said that he had written a book.

Haec verba litterīs scrībenda sunt.

These words must be put in writing.

The future active participle scrīptūrus marks intention or imminence, while the gerundive scrībendus expresses necessity. A dative with the gerundive names the responsible person rather than the recipient of a letter.

Cicerō ad Atticum scrīptūrus erat.

Cicero was about to write to Atticus.

Nōbīs epistula hodiē scrībenda est.

We must write the letter today.

In the perfect passive and future active infinitives, the participle agrees with the accusative subject of indirect statement: dīxit eam scrīptam esse “he said that it had been written” (eam referring to a feminine noun), but dīxit eam scrīptūram esse “he said that she would write.” The supine in future passive scrīptum īrī is invariable.

Recipient, Topic, and Content

Use a dative for the person written to: tibi scrībō. Ad plus accusative can emphasize direction or identify a corporate addressee: ad senātum scrībere. Dē plus ablative marks the topic.

Frātrī meō dē itinere scrīpsī.

I wrote to my brother about the journey.

The content may be a direct quotation, accusative-and-infinitive assertion, or indirect question.

Scrīpsit sē salvum esse.

He wrote that he was safe.

Scrīpsit ubi exercitus hiemāret.

He wrote where the army was wintering.

See accusative-and-infinitive for reported assertions.

An ut clause is possible, but it does not replace an accusative-and-infinitive indiscriminately. It normally conveys a request, instruction, purpose, or result rather than a factual assertion. Consequently scrīpsit sē salvum esse reports “he wrote that he was safe,” whereas scrīpsit ut statim venīret means “he wrote telling him to come at once.” English uses “wrote that” in both settings more freely, so learners must identify the communicative force.

Māter fīliō scrīpsit ut domum redīret.

The mother wrote to her son telling him to return home.

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First decide whether the written message asserts information or seeks an action. Assertions favor accusative-and-infinitive; requested actions favor ut plus subjunctive.

Materials and Medium

An ablative can mark the instrument: stilō scrībere “write with a stylus.” In plus ablative marks the surface: in tabulā. Litterīs can mean “in writing/by letter,” not merely plural alphabetic characters.

Puer stilō in tabulā scrībit.

The boy writes on a tablet with a stylus.

Material and surface are not interchangeable. In cērā scrībere describes writing on wax; stilō identifies the tool. Where English can say “write in a notebook” with an apparently directional preposition, Latin normally uses in plus ablative for the stationary surface or document.

Nōmen in cērā stilō scrīpsit.

He wrote the name on the wax with a stylus.

Composing and Enrolling

The object determines whether scrībō means write characters, compose a work, record a decision, or enroll a person. Military mīlitēs scrībere means levy/enroll soldiers (military/administrative).

Cōnsul duās legiōnēs scrīpsit.

The consul enrolled two legions.

Compounds

Adscrībō “add in writing, enroll,” cōnscrībō “write together, draw up, enlist,” dēscrībō “copy, describe, assign,” īnscrībō “inscribe,” praescrībō “write beforehand, prescribe,” and rescrībō “write back” preserve -scrīps- and -scrīpt-.

Magistrātus nōmina cīvium cōnscrīpsit.

The magistrate registered the citizens’ names.

Aspect and Authorship

Imperfect scrībēbat shows composition in progress or habitual correspondence; perfect scrīpsit presents a completed act or work. Perfect does not guarantee that the text survives or was delivered.

Dum epistulam scrībēbat, nūntius vēnit.

While he was writing the letter, a messenger arrived.

The verb identifies the writer as grammatical agent, but not necessarily as intellectual author. A secretary may scrībere words dictated by someone else; a magistrate may have a decree written. Context, an agent phrase, or verbs such as dictō clarify responsibility. Passive scrīptum est is especially common where the wording matters more than its writer (formal/documentary).

Scrība verba cōnsulis scrīpsit.

The clerk wrote down the consul’s words.

Parsing Diagnostic

Identify scrīb-, scrīps-, or scrīpt- and voice. Locate written content, recipient, topic, instrument, and surface. The form scrībam can be either future indicative “I shall write” or present subjunctive “that I write”; passive scrībar has the same ambiguity. With compounds, distinguish literal writing from administrative or figurative meanings. In passive perfects, make scrīptus agree with the text or person enrolled.

Common Mistakes

Inventing the perfect

❌ Epistulam scrībīvī.

Incorrect — the perfect is scrīpsī.

✅ Epistulam scrīpsī.

I wrote a letter.

Giving the recipient an accusative

❌ Tē epistulam scrībō.

Incorrect for ‘I write you a letter’ — the recipient is dative.

✅ Tibi epistulam scrībō.

I write you a letter.

Using ut for a reported assertion

⚠️ Scrīpsit ut salvus esset.

Valid with a purpose or sought-outcome reading, but not the assertion ‘he wrote that he was safe.’

✅ Scrīpsit sē salvum esse.

He wrote that he was safe.

Confusing surface and direction

⚠️ In tabulam verba scrībit.

Directional ‘onto a tablet’ is possible, but this is not the neutral stationary-surface expression.

✅ In tabulā verba scrībit.

He writes words on a tablet.

Key Takeaways

Memorize scrībō, scrībere, scrīpsī, scrīptum.
The written thing is accusative, the recipient commonly dative, and the topic dē plus ablative.
Accusative-and-infinitive reports statements; indirect questions use subjunctive clauses.
Compounds preserve the irregular perfect and supine stems but develop specialized meanings.

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