Magistratus plebem audit.

The magistrate hears the common people.

Breakdown of Magistratus plebem audit.

• audire: to hear
• magistratus: the magistrate
• plebs: the common people

Questions & Answers about Magistratus plebem audit.

How do I know magistratus is singular here and not plural?

Because of the verb audit.

• audit = he/she/it hears or is hearing
• A plural subject would need audiunt = they hear

So in this sentence, magistratus must be understood as a singular subject: the magistrate.

A useful extra note: magistratus is one of those Latin forms that can look ambiguous by itself, because in the fourth declension it can be:

• nominative singular
• nominative plural
• genitive singular

But the verb clears it up here.

Why is plebem ending in -em?

Because plebem is in the accusative singular, which marks the direct object.

In Magistratus plebem audit:

• magistratus = the subject, the one doing the hearing
• plebem = the direct object, the one being heard

The dictionary form is plebs, and its accusative singular is plebem.

So the -em ending is showing that plebem is the object of audit.

How do I know who is doing the action and who is receiving it?