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Capsarius vestimentum portat.

Capsarius vestimentum portat.
The cloakroom attendant carries the clothing.
From Lesson 94:Repairing a bathhouse hypocaust·Hardcore Latin

Questions & Answers about Capsarius vestimentum portat.

How do I know that capsarius is the subject?
Because capsarius is in the nominative singular, which is the case typically used for the subject of the sentence. Also, portat is third-person singular, so it matches a single subject: capsarius.
Why is vestimentum the object?
Vestimentum is the direct object because it is the thing being carried. In Latin, direct objects are usually in the accusative case, and here vestimentum is accusative singular.
What does portat mean grammatically?
Portat is the third-person singular present active indicative form of portare. In simple English, that means he/she/it carries or is carrying, depending on context.
Why doesn’t Latin use a word for the or a here?
Latin usually does not have articles like English the and a/an. So capsarius can mean the capsarius or a capsarius, and vestimentum can mean the garment or a garment, depending on context.
Why does the sentence end with the verb?
Latin often puts the verb at the end of the sentence, especially in straightforward prose. So Capsarius vestimentum portat follows a very common Latin pattern: subject + object + verb.
Could the words be in a different order?
Yes. Latin word order is fairly flexible because the endings show the grammatical roles. For example, Vestimentum capsarius portat would still mean the same basic thing, though the emphasis might be slightly different.
What declensions are capsarius and vestimentum?

Both are second-declension nouns, but they are different in gender:

  • capsarius = masculine
  • vestimentum = neuter

That is why their endings are different: -us for the masculine nominative singular and -um for the neuter accusative singular.

Why does vestimentum end in -um?
Because it is a second-declension neuter singular noun in the accusative. For neuter nouns in Latin, the nominative singular and accusative singular are often the same, so vestimentum can look identical in both cases.
Does portat mean he carries specifically?
Not by itself. Portat only means he/she/it carries. The verb form shows person and number, but not gender. The noun capsarius helps you understand who is doing the action.
If English says clothing, why is the Latin word singular?
Latin and English do not always use singular and plural in the same way. Vestimentum is a singular Latin noun, often meaning a garment or an item of clothing. If Latin wanted a plural idea like clothes, it might use a plural form instead.
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