Breakdown of Mercator patri panem donat.
mercator
the merchant
pater
the father
donare
to give
panis
the bread
Questions & Answers about Mercator patri panem donat.
Why is panem in the accusative case?
In Latin, the direct object normally takes the accusative case. Since panem is the thing being given, it appears in the accusative form of panis.
Why is patri in the dative case rather than pater?
When you give something to someone in Latin, that "someone" is in the dative case. Here, patri indicates "to the father," so it’s the indirect object receiving the bread.
Is mercator the subject of the sentence, and why is it in that form?
Yes, mercator (meaning "the merchant") is in the nominative case, which is used for the subject of a sentence.
How does word order work in Latin compared to English in this sentence?
Latin word order is more flexible because the endings indicate roles in the sentence. Here, Mercator patri panem donat follows a Subject–Indirect Object–Direct Object–Verb pattern. However, Mercator panem patri donat or Patri panem mercator donat would still mean the same thing because the cases remain the same. In English, word order is more rigid because roles are often determined by position rather than endings.
Should I always rely on word order to understand who is doing what?
Not always. In Latin, case endings are more crucial than word order for showing who is the subject, the direct object, or the indirect object. Word order can vary for emphasis or style, but the endings (nominative for the subject, accusative for the direct object, dative for the indirect object, etc.) are the true guide to each word’s function.