The Perfect Tense

by Jason Hsi

 

All uses of the perfect indicate completed action.  The perfect indicative tense has two different uses, depending on the time of the action:  Perfect Definite and Historical Perfect.

Perfect Definite

indicates a simple action completed from the point of view of present time:  For example, Edidi cibum ? I have eaten food.  In other words, the speaker is in the present state of having finished eating.  Often, this use of Perfect tense may even imply some reflection and looking back of the past action within the speaker, even if the speaker did not perform the action.  For example, Meus frater decessit ? My brother has gone away?

The Historical Perfect

indicates that the action has already been finished for some time in the past.  The historical perfect tells us nothing about how long the action went on in the past, only that it is completed.  However, in comparison to the Pluperfect, the action of Historical Perfect is closer to the present and still has relevance to the speaker.  Being closer to the present, although still having taken place in the past, Historical Perfect emphasizes the completion of the task in past time (and relates also the significance of the action on the present situation).  A good modern example that could explain this is sports replays.  Referees and commentators would use Historical Perfect when describing observations of what just happened.

For example, Vir cecidit et laesit caput ? The man fell and injured his head.
 

Special Uses of the Perfect:

1) Occasionally, there will be general truth and maxims that urge the reader to reflect on its meaning and symbolism, and possibly even apply it to the himself.  The Perfect tense can convey these maxims:
 Example from A&G, 299:
 Qui studet contingere metam multa tulit fecitque (Hor. A. P. 412), he who aims to reach the goal, first bears and does many things.

2) Some Latin verbs will use a perfect form, which normally indicates completed aspect, to convey present, and incomplete aspect:
odi = I hate; memini = I remember; novi = I know; consuevi = I am accustomed.
 

Morphology of the Perfect Tense:

The perfect active indicative tense is based upon the third principal part of the verb.  In order to form the perfect tense, find the perfect stem of the third principal part, and add the personal endings:

Person  Singular  Plural
1st  I    -i  we -imus
2nd  you    -isti  you -istis
3rd   he/she/it  -it  they -erunt

                               e.g.:  scripsi, I have written, I wrote.
 

In order to form the perfect passive indicative of a verb, the fourth principle part of the verb must be used, in conjunction with the conjugated verb sum.

Example: laudo, laudare, laudavi, laudatus  (Wheelock, 88)

1. laudatus, -a, -um sum,  I was praised, have been praised
2. laudatus, -a, -um es,     you were praised, have been praised
3. laudatus, -a, -um est,    he/she/it was praised, has been praised
1.   laudati, -ae, -a sumus   we were praised, have been praised
2.   laudati, -ae, -a estis      you were praised, have been praised
3.   laudati, -ae, -a sunt       they were praised, have been praised
 

Sources Cited:
Wheelock, Frederic M.  Latin.  New Jersey: Barnes & Noble Books, 1963.