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conjugate

adjective

/ˈkɑnʤəɡɪt/

IPA:

Dictionary definition of conjugate

Pertaining to the grammatical relationship between words, particularly verbs, within a sentence or clause.
"The teacher asked the students to conjugate the verb 'to be' in past tense."

Detailed meaning of conjugate

In linguistic terms, conjugation refers to the systematic variation of verbs to indicate various elements such as tense, person, number, mood, or aspect. When applied to adjectives or nouns, "conjugate" implies a similar systematic variation or inflection to convey specific grammatical information, such as gender, number, or case. For example, in many languages, verbs are conjugated differently depending on the subject, while nouns may be conjugated to indicate whether they are singular or plural. In essence, the adjective "conjugate" highlights the capacity of words to change their form in a structured manner to convey different grammatical meanings, serving as a fundamental aspect of language morphology and syntax.

Example sentences containing conjugate

1. In Spanish, verbs have different conjugate forms based on the subject.
2. The teacher asked the students to conjugate the verb "to be" in past tense.
3. I struggle to remember the conjugate endings for irregular verbs.
4. The textbook provides a list of conjugate pronouns for French verbs.
5. The conjugate pairs of complex numbers have equal real parts.
6. To form the past participle, you need to conjugate the verb correctly.

History and etymology of conjugate

The adjective 'conjugate' has its etymological roots in Latin. It originates from the Latin word 'conjugatus,' which is the past participle of 'conjugare.' This Latin term is composed of 'con,' meaning 'together,' and 'jugum,' meaning 'yoke' or 'joining.' The etymology of 'conjugate' reflects its grammatical significance, particularly in the context of verbs. It suggests the idea of joining or yoking together the various forms of a verb to express different aspects such as tense, mood, and person. In the study of grammar, 'conjugate' pertains to the systematic alteration of verbs to fit within a sentence or clause, maintaining grammatical agreement and coherence. Thus, the word's etymology underscores its role in understanding the grammatical relationships between words, especially verbs, in the structure of language.

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Further usage examples of conjugate

1. The students practiced conjugating regular verbs in German.
2. She is studying how to conjugate verbs in the present progressive tense.
3. It's important to use the correct conjugate form of the adjective in a sentence.
4. We need to conjugate the adverb according to the gender of the noun.
5. The conjugate base of an acid is formed by removing a proton.
6. He struggles with conjugating irregular verbs in Portuguese.
7. The software provides a tool to help you conjugate verbs in different languages.
8. They were able to quickly conjugate the verb in the imperative form.
9. The professor explained the conjugate pairs in complex numbers during the math class.
10. I find it challenging to memorize the conjugate forms of verbs in Russian.
11. The conjugate angles add up to 360 degrees.
12. The conjugate transpose of a matrix is obtained by taking the transpose and conjugating each element.
13. The conjugate acid of a base is formed when the base accepts a proton.
14. The teacher asked the students to conjugate the adjective "happy" in its comparative form.