Third-conjugation verbs have a present active infinitive in short -ere: regere “to rule,” mittere “to send,” and dūcere “to lead.” Unlike the stable long vowel of monēre, the short thematic vowel changes according to its ending. That alternation—regō, regis, regit, but regunt—is the signature of this conjugation.
These present indicative forms are unmarked in ordinary Classical Latin prose. They express present action, habitual activity, or a general state of affairs; the same forms also create a (literary) historical present in narrative. The morphology tells you present indicative, but context tells you whether idiomatic English needs “rules,” “is ruling,” or even a vivid past “ruled.”
Identify the conjugation before forming the verb
The second principal part distinguishes the class. Its short e is essential. For the broader logic behind these dictionary forms, see Principal Parts as a Predictive System.
| Principal parts | Infinitive | Lexical base | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| regō, regere, rēxī, rēctum | regere | reg- | rule, guide |
| mittō, mittere, mīsī, missum | mittere | mitt- | send |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductum | dūcere | dūc- | lead |
| legō, legere, lēgī, lēctum | legere | leg- | read, choose |
For practical formation, remove infinitive -ere to expose the base, then supply the vowel required by the present ending. Traditional descriptions may call rege- the present stem because removing only -re gives that shape. Both analyses describe the same facts: the visible vowel appears as -ō in the first singular, -i- through most of the paradigm, -u- in the third plural, and -e- in the second singular passive.
Present indicative active
The active pattern is -ō, -is, -it, -imus, -itis, -unt. The person-number endings remain familiar, but their connecting vowels differ from the second conjugation.
| Person | Form | Analysis | Possible English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | regō | reg- + -ō | I rule / am ruling |
| 2nd singular | regis | reg- + -i- + -s | you rule / are ruling |
| 3rd singular | regit | reg- + -i- + -t | he/she rules |
| 1st plural | regimus | reg- + -i- + -mus | we rule / are ruling |
| 2nd plural | regitis | reg- + -i- + -tis | you all rule |
| 3rd plural | regunt | reg- + -u- + -nt | they rule / are ruling |
Tibi librum mittō; crās eum accipiēs.
I am sending you a book; you will receive it tomorrow.
Quid in illā epistulā legis?
What are you reading in that letter?
Mārcus equum dūcit, quia puer eum timet.
Marcus is leading the horse because the boy is afraid of it.
Post cēnam ad amīcōs scrībimus.
After dinner we write to our friends.
Puerī in hortō currunt, dum parentēs colloquuntur.
The children are running in the garden while their parents talk.
Latin generally omits subject pronouns because the endings identify person and number. Mittō is already “I send,” while ego mittō is contrastive: “I am sending it,” perhaps unlike someone else. The pronoun is a discourse choice, not an English-style requirement.
Present indicative passive
The passive uses the same vowel pattern. Notice especially regeris in the second-person singular and reguntur in the third-person plural.
| Person | Form | Analysis | Basic English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | regor | reg- + -or | I am ruled |
| 2nd singular | regeris / regere | reg- + -e- + -ris/-re | you are ruled |
| 3rd singular | regitur | reg- + -i- + -tur | he/she/it is ruled |
| 1st plural | regimur | reg- + -i- + -mur | we are ruled |
| 2nd plural | regiminī | reg- + -i- + -minī | you all are ruled |
| 3rd plural | reguntur | reg- + -u- + -ntur | they are ruled |
Litterae ā tabellāriō mittuntur.
The letters are being sent by the courier.
Haec fābula saepe ā discipulīs legitur.
This story is often read by the students.
In portum dūcimur, ubi nāvis exspectat.
We are being led into the harbor, where a ship is waiting.
The alternative second-person form regere is standard Classical morphology, not an error. It is identical in spelling to the active infinitive. In potes regere it is an infinitive, “you can rule”; in ā rēge regere it can be passive, “you are ruled by the king.” Syntax and the surrounding endings resolve what the letters alone cannot.
What the present means
Latin does not have a dedicated present progressive corresponding to English “is reading.” Legit can mean “reads” or “is reading.” A time expression or the surrounding narrative supplies the aspect.
| Context | Latin | Idiomatic English |
|---|---|---|
| right now | Nunc scrībit. | She is writing now. |
| habit | Cotīdiē scrībit. | She writes every day. |
| general statement | Lēx cīvēs regit. | Law governs citizens. |
| historical present (literary) | Dux signum mittit. | The commander sent the signal. |
Nunc ad portam currit; cotīdiē autem lentē ambulat.
Now he is running to the gate; every day, however, he walks slowly.
The two forms currit and ambulat are both present indicative. English uses a progressive for the immediate event and a simple present for the habit because of nunc and cotīdiē, not because Latin has two different presents.
A reliable parsing and production routine
When you meet dūcuntur, work from the outside inward. Ending -ntur marks third-person plural passive. The preceding u fits a third-conjugation present, and dūc- identifies dūcō, dūcere. The complete parse is present indicative passive, third-person plural: “they are led/are being led.”
To say “you all are sending,” choose active voice and second-person plural, take base mitt-, and add -itis: mittitis. Do not start by turning English “are” into estis. Latin encodes this present meaning in one synthetic verb.
Common Mistakes
1. Treating short -ere as second-conjugation long -ēre
❌ Nōs litterās mittēmus.
Incorrect for present ‘we send’ — this is the first-person plural future, not the present.
✅ Nōs litterās mittimus.
We send the letters / are sending the letters.
2. Using i instead of u in the third-person plural
❌ Nautae nāvem dūcint.
Incorrect — third-conjugation third-person plural uses -unt.
✅ Nautae nāvem dūcunt.
The sailors are guiding the ship.
3. Translating English “is” as a separate auxiliary
❌ Mārcus est scrībēns epistulam.
Incorrect as a routine translation of ‘Marcus is writing a letter.’
✅ Mārcus epistulam scrībit.
Marcus is writing a letter.
4. Confusing active and passive endings
❌ Epistula ā Lūciō mittit.
Incorrect for ‘the letter is sent by Lucius’ — mittit is active.
✅ Epistula ā Lūciō mittitur.
The letter is sent by Lucius.
Key Takeaways
Short -ere identifies the regular third conjugation. Its present has alternating thematic vowels: -ō, mostly -i-, -u- before third-person plural -nt/-ntur, and -e- in second-person singular passive -eris/-ere. Parse person, number, and voice from the ending before translating, then use context to choose between English simple, progressive, or (literary) historical-present renderings.
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