The gerund and gerundive in Latin
In short
The gerund is the declined form of the infinitive, only in the singular and in the neuter: natandi (of swimming), natando (by swimming), natandum (for swimming). The gerundive is a passive verbal adjective ending in -nd- (legendus, legenda, legendum). It often replaces a gerund with a direct object: libros legendo becomes libris legendis. Disce ludens II practices the gerund in lesson 20 and the gerundive in lessons 21 to 23.
The gerund: the infinitive in the cases
The gerund has the cases genitive, dative, accusative and ablative, and only the neuter singular form. The infinitive replaces the nominative: natare (swimming).
| Case | Form | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genitive | natandi | of swimming, for swimming | Tempus natandi adest. (It is time for swimming.) |
| Accusative | natandum (with ad) | for swimming | Paratine estis ad natandum? (Are you ready for swimming?) |
| Ablative | natando | by swimming, in swimming | Corpus natando exercetur. (The body is trained by swimming.) |
In the genitive the gerund stands as an attribute to nouns (tempus natandi, time for swimming) and with adjectives such as cupidus (eager): Natandi cupidi sumus. (We are eager to swim.) In the ablative it often stands with in: in natando omnes supero. (In swimming I outdo everyone.)
The gerundive: a passive verbal adjective
The gerundive is formed from the present stem with -nd- and the endings of an a/o-adjective: legendus, legenda, legendum. It expresses that something must or should be done. It stands as an attribute and agrees in case, gender and number with the noun it belongs to.
Disce ludens II explains: when a gerund becomes a gerundive, the case stays the same; gender and number are taken from the accusative object. So a gerund with an object turns into a construction in which everything stands in the same case.
Gerund or gerundive?
A rule of thumb: when a gerund has a direct object, the gerundive is usually formed, and it adapts to the object.
| Gerund with accusative object | Gerundive construction | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| libros legendo | libris legendis | by reading books |
| ad libros legendos | (gerundive in the accusative) | for reading books |
Disce ludens II, lesson 21, practices the change: legendo libros becomes libris legendis in the ablative, because the gerundive agrees in case, gender and number with libris. Lessons 22 and 23 practice the other forms of the gerundive as an attribute.
Use in sentences
The gerund often appears after adjectives such as peritus and in phrases with tempus. In lesson 20 you fill in the right form; the choice contains a wrong construction in each case, for example ad rapiendum instead of the genitive. The correct gerund depends on case and preposition: after peritus the genitive stands (peritus rapiendi).
Try it
A real exercise from Disce ludens:
Disce ludens II · Lesson 20 · The gerund, card 9
Fur ____ peritus erat.
Wähle die richtige Form ! Der Dieb war erfahren im Stehlen.
© Disce ludensWhat Disce ludens does – and what it doesn’t
What Disce ludens does
- Practices the gerund in lesson 20 of Disce ludens II, in the cases genitive to ablative, with prepositions.
- Introduces the gerundive in lessons 21 to 23, including the change of gerund and object.
- Explains the form you chose when an answer is wrong.
What it doesn’t do
- Does not replace a grammar with all uses of the gerund.
- Does not treat the gerundive as part of a predicate with esse; that matters in reading and translation.
- Does not show vowel length marks (macrons).
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between gerund and gerundive?
The gerund is a verbal noun in the neuter (natandi, natando, natandum). The gerundive is a passive verbal adjective that agrees with a noun in case, gender and number (libris legendis).
How is the gerundive formed?
From the present stem with -nd- and the endings of an a/o-adjective: legendus, legenda, legendum.
Why is the gerundive often used instead of the gerund?
Because the gerundive is passive and adapts to its object. It sounds more elegant and is very common in texts.
Is there a gerund in the nominative?
No. The infinitive stands for the nominative: Natare iuvat (swimming is enjoyable).