These are verbs that look passive, but are really active:
I was born in a hospital – this is something that I did, but looks as if it was done to me
Here are the fourteen deponent verbs you need for GCSE:
| Present (I am …) | Infinitive (to …) | Perfect (I …ed) |
| conor (I am trying) | conari (to try) | conatus sum (I tried) |
| egredior (I am going out) | egredi (to go out, to leave) | egressus sum (I went out) |
| hortor (I am encouraging) | hortari (to encourage) | hortatus sum (I encouraged) |
| ingredior (I am entering) | ingredi (to enter) | ingressus sum (I entered) |
| loquor (I am speaking) | loqui (to speak) | locutus sum (I spoke) |
| miror (I am admiring/am amazed) | mirari (to admire/be amazed) | miratus sum (I admired/was amazed) |
| morior (I am dying) | mori (to die) | mortuus sum (I died) |
| patior (I am suffering) | pati (to suffer) | passus sum (I suffered) |
| precor (I am praying/begging) | precari (to pray/beg) | precatus sum (I prayed/beg) |
| proficiscor (I am setting out) | proficisci (to set out) | profectus sum (I set out) |
| progredior (I am going forward/advance) | progredi (to go forward) | progressus sum (I went forward) |
| sequor (I am following) | sequi (to follow) | secutus sum (I followed) |
| utor (+ ablative) (I am using) | uti (+ ablative) (to use) | usus sum (I used) |
| vereor (I am fearing/am afraid of) | vereri (to fear, to be afraid of) | veritus sum (I feared/was afraid of) |
Marcus is following me Marcus mihi sequitur present
Marcus was following me Marcus mihi sequabatur imperfect
Marcus followed me Marcus mihi secutus est perfect
Marcus had followed me Marcus mihi secutus erat pluperfect
Something to bear in mind is that deponent perfect participles are active – unlike all the others, which are passive:
Latro, culinam ingressus, puellas vituperavit
Latro, having entered the kitchen, cursed the girls
Milites, e castris profecti, hostes prope montem viderunt
The soldiers, having set out from [their] camp, saw the enemy near the mountain
Conor vincere, sed hostes fortes sunt.
I am trying to conquer, but the enemies are brave
Pueri loquuntur de magno periculo.
The boys are speaking about the great danger
Milites castra ingrediuntur.
Puer puella pulchram mirabatur.
The boy was admiring the beautiful girl
Nautae in insulam proficiscebantur.
Senatores patriam defendere conabuntur.
The senators will try to defend the country
Filius de periculo patriae locutus est.
The son spoke about the danger of the country
Romani multa bella passi sunt.
The Romans suffered many wars
Legati hostium verba audiverant et profecti sunt.
The envoys of the enemy had heard the words and set out [on a journey]
Puella precata est ut pater domum rediret.
The girl begged in order for her father to return home [her father to return home]
Captivi in carcere mortui erant.
The captives had died in prison
Magister discipulos hortabatur ut diligenter laborarent.
The teacher was encouraging the students to work carefully
Feminae, quae in foro loquebantur, panem vendebant.
The women, who were speaking in the marketplace, were selling bread
Imperator copias progredi iussit.
The general ordered his forces to advance
Amici in villa morabantur et epistulas mittebant. (moror – delay)
The friends were delaying in the house and were sending letters
Senex veritus est ne urbs deleretur.
the old man was afraid that the city would be destroyed