Breakdown of Magister discipulum tuum vocat.
discipulus
the student
magister
the teacher
vocare
to call
tuus
your
Questions & Answers about Magister discipulum tuum vocat.
Why is the subject magister in the nominative case?
In Latin, the subject of a sentence typically appears in the nominative case. Here, magister (teacher) is in the nominative because it's the one performing the action (calling).
Why is discipulum tuum in the accusative case?
Discipulum tuum (your student) is in the accusative case because it’s the direct object of the verb vocat (calls). Latin generally places direct objects in the accusative case.
What is the function of tuum in the phrase discipulum tuum?
Tuum is a possessive adjective meaning your, agreeing in case (accusative), number (singular), and gender (masculine) with discipulum. Thus, it clarifies that the student belongs to the person addressed.
Why is the verb vocat in the third-person singular?
Because magister (he—the teacher) is a third-person singular subject. In Latin, the verb form vocat (he/she/it calls) matches the subject in both person and number.
Is word order important in Latin?
Latin is an inflected language, which means word endings indicate grammatical function. While the typical word order is Subject–Object–Verb (as in Magister discipulum tuum vocat), you can shift the order for emphasis or style without changing the fundamental meaning.