Discipulus intrat et vinum magistro donat.

The student enters and gives wine to the teacher.

Breakdown of Discipulus intrat et vinum magistro donat.

• et: and
• intrare: to enter
• discipulus: the student
• magister: the teacher
• donare: to give
• vinum: the wine

Questions & Answers about Discipulus intrat et vinum magistro donat.

Why is magistro in the dative case instead of some other case?

In Latin, the dative case often marks the indirect object—the person receiving or benefiting from the action. Here, magistro (meaning “to/for the teacher”) is the indirect object of donat (“gives” or “presents”), indicating that the teacher is the recipient of the wine.

What is the difference between donat and dat?

Both can mean “gives,” but donat carries a nuance of presenting a gift or offering generously. Dat simply means “gives,” with no extra connotation of gifting or bestowing a present.

Why doesn’t intrat need an object or preposition like “in”?

In Latin, intrat (“he/she/it enters”) does not require a specific preposition if the sentence doesn’t specify entering a specific place. If you were entering a room or building explicitly, you might see something like intrat in scholam (“he/she enters into the school”). Here, the focus is on the simple action of the student coming in, so no direct object or extra preposition is needed.

Why do we see Discipulus intrat and not a pronoun like “he”?

Latin typically does not use personal pronouns unless emphasizing who is performing the action. Since Discipulus (“the student”) is the subject, that’s enough to identify who is entering. Latin verbs also contain the subject information in their endings, so adding a pronoun like “he” is usually unnecessary unless for emphasis or clarity.

Why is vinum in the accusative case?

Vinum is in the accusative because it’s the direct object of donat. In Latin, the direct object of a verb that indicates giving, showing, or telling typically appears in the accusative case—here, it’s the wine that is being given to the teacher.