Corpus mortale tandem cadit.

Corpus is nominative singular here, so it is the subject of the sentence.

A beginner might hesitate because corpus is a third-declension neuter noun, and in neuter nouns the nominative and accusative are often the same form. So corpus could, in theory, be either nominative or accusative singular.

But here the verb is cadit = falls, and cadere is normally intransitive, so it does not take a direct object in this sentence. That makes corpus the subject: the mortal body falls.

Because corpus is neuter, and the adjective has to agree with it.

The dictionary form is mortalis, mortale, meaning mortal. This is a third-declension adjective with:

• mortalis for masculine/feminine nominative singular
• mortale for neuter nominative singular

Since corpus is a neuter singular noun, the correct agreeing form is mortale.

Because Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order.

In English, we normally say mortal body. In Latin, an adjective can come before or after its noun. So corpus mortale is perfectly normal Latin for mortal body.

Putting the adjective after the noun is very common and often sounds quite natural in Latin prose.

Yes. Corpus mortale goes together as mortal body.

The adjective mortale is simply modifying corpus. It is not acting separately from it, and it is not describing the verb cadit.

So the basic structure is:

• corpus mortale = the mortal body
• tandem = finally / at last
• cadit = falls

Cadit is the third person singular present active indicative of cadere, meaning to fall.

So it means:

• he/she/it falls
• or sometimes is falling, depending on context

Because the subject is corpus = body, the natural translation is it falls or simply falls.

Tandem is an adverb meaning at last, finally, or eventually.

It adds the idea that the fall happens after some delay or in the end. So it does not change the basic action, but it adds a sense of culmination: the mortal body finally falls.

It modifies the whole verbal idea, especially cadit.

Because Latin adverbs often have fairly flexible placement.

Here tandem stands between the subject phrase and the verb:

• Corpus mortale tandem cadit

That is a natural Latin arrangement. Its position can give a slight emphasis to the idea of finally just before the action falls. Latin often uses word order for emphasis more than English does.

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

Latin simply says corpus mortale, and the context tells you whether to understand it as:

• a mortal body
• the mortal body
• or sometimes just mortal body in a more general sense

So the lack of an article is completely normal.

Yes. Latin word order is flexible, so other arrangements are possible, such as:

• Tandem corpus mortale cadit
• Corpus tandem mortale cadit
• Cadit tandem corpus mortale

These would keep roughly the same basic meaning, but the emphasis would shift a little. The version Corpus mortale tandem cadit is a straightforward and elegant arrangement, with the verb still near the end, which is very common in Latin.

In restored Classical pronunciation, it would be approximately:

COR-pus mor-TA-le TAN-dem CA-dit

More exactly:

• corpus = KOR-pus
• mortale = mor-TAA-le
• tandem = TAN-dem
• cadit = KA-dit

A few helpful points:

• c is always hard, like k
• t is always a clear t
• the stress falls on -ta- in mortale

So the whole sentence sounds something like:

KOR-pus mor-TAA-le TAN-dem KA-dit