Discipula magnum equum amat.

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Breakdown of Discipula magnum equum amat.

• equus: the horse
• amare: to love
• discipula: the female student

Questions & Answers about Discipula magnum equum amat.

Why is the subject discipula and not discipulus?

Discipula is the feminine form meaning "female student," while discipulus is the masculine form meaning "male student." Since the sentence refers to a female student, discipula is used.

Why does the adjective appear as magnum instead of magnus?

Latin adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case. Here, equum is masculine singular accusative, so the adjective must also be masculine singular accusative. The form of the adjective "big" that is masculine singular accusative is magnum (instead of magnus, which is the nominative singular form).

What is the case of equum and why is it used?

Equum is in the accusative case. In Latin, the direct object of a verb typically goes into the accusative. Since the horse (equum) is the thing being "loved," it's in the accusative case here.

How does word order work here? Could the sentence be rearranged?

In Latin, word order is generally flexible because the meaning is shown by noun endings (cases). However, the "Subject + Object + Verb" arrangement is common. You could say Magnum equum discipula amat or Discipula amat magnum equum, but the original order here is perfectly normal and clear.

Why does the verb amat end with -t?

The suffix -t in amat indicates third person singular ("he/she/it loves"). In this sentence, discipula (she) is the subject, so the verb uses the third person singular form.