Third-conjugation deponents look passive but normally make active assertions. Thus sequitur is morphologically present passive—its ending is -tur—yet it means “he or she follows,” not “is followed.” The apparent mismatch is not random: once the dictionary entry identifies a verb as deponent, the ordinary third-conjugation passive endings and the verb’s principal parts predict nearly the whole paradigm.
The essential discipline is to keep form and function separate. First identify what the visible morphology says; then use the lexical entry to interpret its voice. English encourages learners to jump straight to a translation, but that shortcut hides both the conjugation and the information carried by the Latin form.
Recognizing the third-conjugation pattern
A regular third-conjugation deponent is cited with three principal parts, such as sequor, sequī, secūtus sum “follow.” The present infinitive in -ī, rather than fourth-conjugation -īrī, identifies the conjugation. The third principal part supplies the perfect participial stem; it cannot safely be guessed from the English meaning.
| Principal parts | Meaning | What they predict |
|---|---|---|
| sequor, sequī, secūtus sum | follow | sequitur; secūtus est |
| loquor, loquī, locūtus sum | speak | loquitur; locūta est |
| ūtor, ūtī, ūsus sum | use | ūtitur; ūsī sunt |
| proficīscor, proficīscī, profectus sum | set out | proficīscitur; profectus est |
These are (neutral Classical prose) forms. The perfect stems secūt-, locūt-, ūs- and profect- show why principal parts matter: no rule based on “follow,” “speak,” “use,” or “leave” will generate them reliably.
Sī ad forum īs, tē sequor.
If you are going to the forum, I will follow you.
Puerī magistrum per viās sequuntur.
The boys follow the teacher through the streets.
In both examples the deponent governs an ordinary accusative object. Passive-looking morphology does not make the subject a patient: the boys perform the following.
The present indicative
The present indicative of sequor uses the third-conjugation present stem sequ- plus passive personal endings. The second-person singular has both the fuller sequeris and the alternative sequere; the latter can resemble an imperative, so context matters.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| first | sequor, I follow | sequimur, we follow |
| second | sequeris / sequere, you follow | sequiminī, you follow |
| third | sequitur, he/she follows | sequuntur, they follow |
The variable short vowel before the ending is characteristic of the third conjugation: sequeris but sequitur and sequuntur. Do not take the -i- of sequitur as evidence for the fourth conjugation.
Soror mea cum medicō loquitur.
My sister is speaking with the doctor.
Quōs sequiminī, et cūr?
Whom are you following, and why?
The simple present may correspond to English “follows,” “is following,” or—when context points forward—“will follow.” Latin tense and English tense-aspect expressions do not match one for one.
Imperfect, future, and subjunctive diagnostics
The (neutral Classical prose) imperfect uses -ēbā- plus passive endings: sequēbar “I was following,” sequēbātur “he or she was following.” The future follows the third-conjugation -a-/-ē- pattern: sequar, sequēris, sequētur, sequēmur, sequēminī, sequentur. The present subjunctive has -ā- throughout after the first person: sequar, sequāris, sequātur, sequāmur, sequāminī, sequantur.
Cum frātre dē pecūniā loquēbātur.
He was speaking with his brother about the money.
Crās prīmā lūce proficīscēmur.
Tomorrow at first light we will set out.
Nē quis nōs sequātur, portam claudāmus.
So that no one may follow us, let us close the gate.
The shared form sequar can be future indicative “I will follow” or present subjunctive “I may follow.” Mood is resolved from syntax and context, not from the form alone. In the last example nē introduces a negative purpose clause and therefore selects the subjunctive sequātur.
The third-conjugation -iō type
Some deponents combine third-conjugation infinitives with -iō-type present forms. Important examples are patior, patī, passus sum “suffer, endure, allow” and morior, morī, mortuus sum “die.” Their present plural has -iu-: patiuntur, moriuntur; their imperfect and future use -iē- or -ia-: patiēbātur, moriētur, patiar.
Cūr tantum dolōrem pateris?
Why are you enduring so much pain?
Nōn patiar servōs sine cibō manēre.
I will not allow the enslaved people to remain without food.
Multī in urbe famē moriuntur.
Many people in the city are dying of hunger.
The infinitives patī and morī still place these verbs in the third conjugation. Their -iō behavior is a present-system subtype, not a license to substitute fourth-conjugation -īrī.
Perfect-system forms
The perfect of a deponent combines an agreeing perfect participle with a form of sum. It looks exactly like an ordinary perfect passive, but its meaning is active: secūtus est “he followed,” secūta est “she followed,” secūtī sunt “they followed.” The same stem builds secūtus erat “he had followed,” secūta sit “she may have followed,” and secūtī essent “they had followed” in a past subjunctive context.
Lūcia amīcam ad templum secūta est.
Lucia followed her friend to the temple.
Dolōrem diū passī sumus, sed spem nōn āmīsimus.
We endured the pain for a long time, but we did not lose hope.
Compare the minimal pair:
Mārcus ducem secūtus est.
Marcus followed the commander. (deponent: active meaning)
Mārcus ā duce laudātus est.
Marcus was praised by the commander. (ordinary passive)
Nothing inside secūtus est alone says “active.” The dictionary entry sequor supplies deponency; the entry laudō identifies laudātus est as an ordinary passive.
Imperatives and non-finite forms
The singular imperative has the passive-looking ending -re: sequere! “follow!” and loquere! “speak!” The plural is sequiminī! or loquiminī! These are (neutral Classical prose) commands, although a bare imperative can be socially abrupt unless the situation licenses it.
Vēra loquere; nōlī quidquam cēlāre.
Speak the truth; do not try to hide anything.
Deponents also possess active-meaning present participles (sequēns “following”), perfect participles (secūtus “having followed”), and future participles (secūtūrus “about to follow”). Their participial system is treated in detail under Deponent Participles with Active Meaning.
Common Mistakes
1. Reading every -tur form as an English passive
❌ Dux ā mīlitibus sequitur.
Incorrect for ‘The commander follows the soldiers’—the ablative agent was added because sequitur looked passive.
✅ Dux mīlitēs sequitur.
The commander follows the soldiers.
2. Building a present form from the English translation
❌ Puer magistrum sequit.
Incorrect—sequor is deponent and therefore uses passive-form endings in the present system.
✅ Puer magistrum sequitur.
The boy follows the teacher.
3. Inventing a regular perfect stem
❌ Lūcia herī loquīta est.
Incorrect—the third principal part is locūtus sum, not an invented loquītus sum.
✅ Lūcia herī locūta est.
Lucia spoke yesterday.
4. Forgetting subject agreement in the perfect
❌ Fēminae ducem secūtus sunt.
Incorrect—the participle must agree with the feminine plural subject.
✅ Fēminae ducem secūtae sunt.
The women followed the commander.
Key Takeaways
Use the infinitive in -ī to recognize a third-conjugation deponent, then form its present system with third-conjugation passive morphology. Retrieve the perfect stem from the third principal part and make its participle agree with the subject. Most importantly, preserve both truths in your analysis: the form is passive-looking, but the lexical meaning and syntax are active.
Now practice Latin
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Start learning Latin →Related Topics
- Second-Conjugation DeponentsB1 — Conjugate second-conjugation deponents such as vereor and polliceor, preserving their long ē and lexical complements.
- Fourth-Conjugation DeponentsB1 — Recognize and form fourth-conjugation deponents through their -īrī infinitives, stable ī-stems, and active-meaning perfects.