How do I recognise the difference between a gerund and a gerundive?

There are a few ways that I have taught myself to remember the difference between these, as they can look very similar.
A gerundive is a passive adjective (think of the -ive endings). You can also look for the letters -nd- in the stem of the verb e.g. portandus. Gerundives will decline in the same way as adjectives, so it will change in form to agree with the gender, number and case of the noun it is being associated with. It declines in a 2-1-2 pattern (feminine, masculine, neuter), the same way as bonus, -a, -um. Gerundives are usually translated into English with the words 'to be' and then the past participle. E.g. habendus, -a, -um = to be had.
Gerunds on the other hand are verbal nouns and they always have similar endings. Nominative and plural gerunds do not exist. You can recognise an accusative gerund by the -ndum ending; a genitive gerund by the -ndi ending; and a dative or ablative gerund by the -ndo ending. Gerunds are translated into English mostly with an -ing ending. E.g. vivendi = of living

JJ
Answered by Jess J. Latin tutor

5386 Views

See similar Latin A Level tutors

Related Latin A Level answers

All answers ▸

How does Latin’s ‘sequence of tense’ rule work and why do I need to understand it?


"In Tacitus, individuals are seldom virtuous without flaws or flawed without virtues, and the flaws are normally closely related to the virtues." Discuss.


In Aeneid VII.10-24, how does Virgil make his description of Circe's land menacing?


What is the significance of the military metaphor 'militat omnis amans' in Ovid's Amores 1.9? Refer to the language and context in your answer


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning