The Gerund and Gerundive
The gerund is a verbal noun — it names the action of a verb. The gerundive is a verbal adjective — it agrees with a noun and often expresses obligation. Both are formed from the verb stem and are common in J282 unseen texts.
The Gerund
The gerund is a 2nd-declension neuter noun used only in the singular, and only in the oblique cases (acc, gen, dat, abl). It is never used in the nominative — use the infinitive instead.
Formation
Add -ndum (acc), -ndī (gen), -ndō (dat/abl) to the present stem:
| Case | Ending | 1st conj. (amō) | 2nd conj. (moneō) | 3rd conj. (regō) | 4th conj. (audiō) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acc. | -ndum | amandum | monendum | regendum | audiendum |
| Gen. | -ndī | amandī | monendī | regendī | audiendī |
| Dat. | -ndō | amandō | monendō | regendō | audiendō |
| Abl. | -ndō | amandō | monendō | regendō | audiendō |
Worked Examples
- Cupidus pugnandī erat. — He was eager for fighting. (gen after cupidus)
- Veniērunt ad pugnandum. — They came to fight. (acc after ad)
- Legendo sapientia augētur. — By reading, wisdom is increased. (abl of means)
The Gerundive
The gerundive is a verbal adjective (-andus/-anda/-andum for 1st conj., -endus/-enda/-endum for 2nd–4th). It agrees with a noun in case, number, and gender.
Gerundive of Obligation
When used with a form of sum, the gerundive expresses obligation or necessity: "X must be done" / "X ought to be done".
- Liber legendus est. — The book must be read.
- Pāx petenda est. — Peace must be sought.
- Hostēs vincendī sunt. — The enemy must be conquered.
Gerundive Replacing Gerund + Object
When a gerund would take a direct object, Latin usually replaces it with a gerundive agreeing with the object:
- gerund + object: ad urbem capiendam — for the purpose of capturing the city
- (instead of: ad capiendum urbem)