Agricola in agris multum laborat, sed filius in horto ludit.

(The farmer works a lot in the fields, but the son plays in the garden.)

Breakdown of Agricola in agris multum laborat, sed filius in horto ludit.

• laborare: to work
• in: in
• multum: a lot
• hortus: the garden
• sed: but
• filius: the son
• agricola: the farmer
• ager: the field
• ludere: to play

Questions & Answers about Agricola in agris multum laborat, sed filius in horto ludit.

Why is Agricola in the nominative case?

In Latin, the nominative case marks the subject of the sentence. Here, Agricola (farmer) is the subject performing the action (laborat, "works").

Why does in agris use the ablative case?

The preposition in can be followed by either the accusative or the ablative case. When expressing location (meaning "in" or "on"), as in in agris ("in the fields"), Latin uses the ablative.

What role does multum play in this sentence?

Multum is an adverb meaning "much" or "a lot," describing the extent or intensity of the farmer’s work. It modifies laborat by indicating how much effort he puts into his labor.

What is the function of sed here?

Sed is a coordinating conjunction meaning "but." It contrasts the preceding action (the farmer working) with the subsequent action (the son playing).

Why is filius in the nominative case?

Filius (son) is also a subject, but of the second verb (ludit, "plays"). It’s performing a different action than the farmer, so it needs its own nominative form.