Senex nuntium bonum vocat.

The old man calls the good messenger.

Breakdown of Senex nuntium bonum vocat.

• senex: the old man
• bonus: good
• nuntius: the messenger
• vocare: to call

Questions & Answers about Senex nuntium bonum vocat.

Why is senex in the nominative case?

In Latin, the subject of the sentence is placed in the nominative case. Here, senex (“old man”) is the subject doing the action, so it must be nominative.

How do we know that nuntium bonum is the direct object?

Both nuntium (meaning “messenger” in this context) and bonum (“good”) are in the accusative case, which typically marks the direct object in Latin. Since the verb is vocat (“he calls”), the thing being called is the direct object.

Why are nuntium and bonum in the same case and number?

In Latin, adjectives (bonum) must agree with the nouns they modify (nuntium) in case, number, and gender. Since nuntium is accusative singular and neuter, bonum must also be accusative singular neuter.

Could nuntium have a different gender?

Yes, nuntius (masculine) is also a common form meaning “messenger.” However, some Latin authors might use nuntium as a neuter noun or in a slightly different context under certain grammatical constructions. The key point is that bonum must match whatever gender, case, and number nuntium is in the specific sentence.

Why is the verb vocat rather than vocant or vocas?

Vocat is the 3rd person singular present tense form of vocare (“to call”). It corresponds to he/she/it calls. The sentence’s subject, senex, is singular (one old man), so the verb must be 3rd person singular as well.