Mater sorori parvum malum donat.

The mother gives a small apple to the sister.

Breakdown of Mater sorori parvum malum donat.

• mater: the mother
• soror: the sister
• parvus: small
• malum: the apple
• donare: to give

Questions & Answers about Mater sorori parvum malum donat.

Why is sorori in the dative case instead of the nominative case?

In Latin, the dative case typically indicates the indirect object—the person or thing receiving the action. Here, sorori is in the dative case to show that the sister is the recipient.

How does parvum agree with malum?

Parvum is an adjective describing malum; both are singular, neuter, and in the accusative case. In Latin, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case.

Why do we use malum and not mala or malus?

Because malum is the neuter singular form of the noun meaning "apple." Latin nouns that end with -um are typically neuter in the nominative and accusative singular. The adjective parvum must therefore match that same neuter form.

What is the function of donat in this sentence?

Donat is a third-person singular present tense verb meaning that someone (the subject) is giving something. It’s derived from the verb dōnō, dōnāre meaning "to give."

Is it acceptable to change the word order?

Yes. Latin word order can be flexible because case endings clarify each word's function. For example, Mater parvum malum sorori donat still conveys the same relationships, although the emphasis may shift slightly depending on context.