Equus citus viatorem portat.

In Latin, the endings usually tell you each word’s job in the sentence.

• equus ends in -us, which here is nominative singular. The nominative case is commonly used for the subject.
• viatorem ends in -em, which here is accusative singular. The accusative case is commonly used for the direct object.

So equus is the one doing the action, and viatorem is the one receiving the action.

Because it is a direct object, and in this sentence it has to be in the accusative singular.

The dictionary form is viator, meaning traveler. It is a third-declension noun, and its accusative singular form is viatorem.

So:

• viator = traveler
• viatorem = traveler (as the object of the verb)

English usually shows this role by word order, but Latin often shows it by the case ending.

Because citus is an adjective describing equus, and Latin adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here:

• equus is masculine singular nominative
• so citus must also be masculine singular nominative

That agreement shows that citus describes equus, not viatorem.

Portat is a verb form from portare, meaning to carry.

Specifically, portat is:

• third person
• singular
• present tense
• active voice
• indicative mood

So it means he/she/it carries or sometimes is carrying.

Because the subject is equus, we understand it here as the horse carries or the horse is carrying.

Because Latin verbs often include that information already.

The ending -t in portat tells you the verb is third person singular: he/she/it carries.

So Latin does not need to add a subject pronoun unless it wants extra emphasis or contrast.

In this sentence, equus already gives the subject clearly, so no extra pronoun is needed.

Classical Latin does not have articles like English the and a/an.

So a noun like equus can mean:

• a horse
• the horse

and viatorem can mean:

• a traveler
• the traveler

You decide which English article fits best from the context.

Yes and no.

It matters somewhat for style, emphasis, and focus, but the case endings do most of the grammatical work.

So Equus citus viatorem portat and Viatorem equus citus portat can mean essentially the same thing, because:

• equus is still nominative
• viatorem is still accusative

English depends heavily on word order, but Latin is often more flexible because of its endings.

Yes. Latin adjectives can often appear before or after the noun.

So both of these are possible:

• equus citus
• citus equus

Both mean swift horse or the swift horse.

The choice can affect style or emphasis, but both are grammatically fine.

Yes. A Latin present tense often covers both ideas.

So portat can be translated as:

• carries
• is carrying
• sometimes even does carry, depending on context

English separates these more clearly than Latin does.

In a common Classical Latin pronunciation, it would be roughly:

EH-kwus KEE-tus wee-ah-TO-rem POR-tat

A few helpful points:

• qu sounds like kw
• c is always hard, like k
• v is often pronounced like w in restored Classical pronunciation
• torem has a clear to-rem, not an English torəm

Pronunciation systems can vary, but that is a good Classical-style guide.

You can change the order a lot more freely than in English, but not completely without affecting the feel of the sentence.

For example, these are still understandable:

• Equus citus viatorem portat
• Viatorem portat equus citus
• Citus equus viatorem portat

The basic meaning stays clear because of the endings. However, different orders can sound more natural, more emphatic, or more poetic.

So Latin word order is flexible, not random.