Magister discipulis narrat: “Mens bona te fortem facit.”

you

Breakdown of Magister discipulis narrat: “Mens bona te fortem facit.”

• discipulus: the student
• magister: the teacher
• narrare: to tell
• bonus: good
• mens: the mind
• fortis: strong
• facere: to make

Questions & Answers about Magister discipulis narrat: “Mens bona te fortem facit.”

Why does Magister appear in the nominative case?

Because Magister is the subject of the sentence. In Latin, the subject typically appears in the nominative case, and here it means teacher.

Why is discipulis in the dative rather than another case?

Here, discipulis is in the dative plural because it indicates who the teacher is speaking to or telling something to, effectively to the students. In Latin, the dative often marks an indirect object.

What does narrat specifically mean?

Narrat is the third-person singular present indicative form of narro, narrare meaning he/she/it tells, relates, or narrates. So Magister narrat means The teacher tells or The teacher says.

Why is Mens bona in the nominative case?

Mens bona (meaning a good mind) is the subject of the subordinate clause Mens bona te fortem facit. As the subject controlling the verb facit, it appears in the nominative case.

Why is te in the accusative case?

Te (you) is used in the accusative to show who is being made strong. In Mens bona te fortem facit, the structure is Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Object Complement. Te is the direct object of facit.

What is the function of fortem here?

Fortem is an adjective in the accusative case agreeing with te, describing what you become (i.e., you as strong). It's called a predicate accusative or object complement—it completes the meaning of te in the context of facit.