Puer pilam pede pellit.

Because pilam is the direct object of the verb pellit. In Latin, the direct object usually goes in the accusative case.

• dictionary form: pila = ball
• accusative singular: pilam = ball (as the thing being hit/driven)

So pilam shows what the boy is kicking or driving.

Because pede is in the ablative case, not the nominative or accusative.

Here it is an ablative of means/instrument, which tells you by what means or with what the action is done:

• pede = with a foot / by means of a foot

So the sentence is using the ablative to show the instrument used to move the ball.

Because Latin often does not use a preposition with the ablative of means.

English says with his foot, but Latin can simply say:

• pede = with (his) foot

So the idea of with is built into the case ending here.

Puer is nominative singular, and its job is to be the subject of the verb.

• puer = boy
• nominative = the form typically used for the subject

So puer is the one doing the action of pellit.

Pellit is the verb, and it gives several pieces of information at once:

• present tense = the action is happening now
• third person singular = he/she/it does the action
• active voice = the subject performs the action

It matches puer, which is a singular subject.

Because the ending of the verb already tells you the subject is third person singular.

• pellit already means he/she/it drives, pushes, kicks

Since puer is present, we know the subject is the boy, so a separate pronoun is unnecessary.

Because Latin often leaves possession understood, especially with body parts, when the owner is obvious from the context.

So pede naturally means:

• with his foot

Latin does not need to add eius or suo unless the writer wants special emphasis or needs to avoid ambiguity.

Latin word order is more flexible than English because the case endings show each word’s role.

In Puer pilam pede pellit:

• puer = subject
• pilam = object
• pede = instrument
• pellit = verb

This order is perfectly natural, but other orders are possible, often for emphasis. For example, moving pede earlier or later could slightly shift what is highlighted, but the basic meaning would stay the same.

Because Latin very often places the verb at or near the end of the sentence. That is a common and very natural Latin pattern.

So this sentence follows a familiar structure:

• subject + object + other information + verb

Latin does not always do this, but it does it very often.

In some contexts, pede can have slightly different senses, because the ablative can express several ideas. For example, forms of pes, pedis can appear in phrases about movement on foot.

But in this sentence, with pilam as the object and pellit as the action, the natural meaning is clearly:

• with his foot
• using his foot

So here it is best understood as an instrumental ablative.

Because classical Latin has no articles like English the or a/an.

So:

• puer can mean the boy or a boy
• pilam can mean the ball or a ball

The context determines which English article is best when translating.