Impersonal verbs Flashcards
VERBS EXPRESSING FEELINGS
• Person experiencing feeling = ACCUSATIVE
• Referent, cause, or source of that feeling = GENITIVE
Example: Me miseret Ciceronis - ‘I pity Cicero’
paenitet, -uit, -itum
regret
piget, -uit, -itum
to be bored
pudet, -uit, -itum
to be ashamed
taedet , pertaesum est
to be fed up with, tired of
miseret, -uit, -itum
pity
VERBS EXPRESSING PERMISSION, ABILITY, NECESSITY, DUTY, DESIRE
+ Infinitive
+ Accusative
OR Dative of Person
Example:
a) Me oportet Ciceronem legere = I am obliged to read Cicero
b) Necesse erat mihi laborare = It was necessary for me to work/I had to work
oportet, -uit, + acc
to be obliged to
decet, -uit, + acc.
to be fitting or right to
necesse est/fuit + dat.
it is/was necessary
opus est/fuit + dat.
it was needed/necessary
libet, -uit + dat.
it is pleasing
licet, -uit + dat.
it is allowed, permitted
licet, oportet, and necesse est can also informally TAKE THE SUBJUNCTIVE instead of the infinitive, WITHOUT UT. Under these circumstances, accusative or dative of person are not used:
Examples:
a) Licet cuncti discedant - All were allowed to leave
b) Oportet laboretis - You are obliged to work
c) Necesse erit capiatur - he will need to be captured
IDIOMATIC USES
Three types of ‘idiomatic’ impersonal verbs which have no unifying constructional principle
