Learn Hardcore Latin: Magistra dicit: “Sine libris bonis bene vivere non possumus.” - The teacher says: “Without good books we cannot live well.”

It is a noun in the nominative singular, so it is the subject of dicit (“says”).
The -a ending is typical of first-declension feminine nouns in the nominative singular.

So magistra dicit = “the (female) teacher says.”

What tense and person is dicit, and why isn’t it dixit?

Dicit is:

3rd person singular (he/she/it says)
present tense of dīcere (“to say”).

So magistra dicit = “the teacher says.”

If it were dixit, that would be perfect tense (“the teacher said”). Latin often uses the present tense with direct speech when the saying is presented as current or generally true: magistra dicit: … “the teacher says: …”

Why is there a colon after dicit, and what does it mean for the Latin?

The colon simply introduces direct speech (what someone actually says).

Magistra dicit: = “The teacher says:”
Then comes the exact quote: Sine libris bonis bene vivere non possumus.

Latin doesn’t need special words for quotation marks; punctuation in modern texts fills that role.

What does sine mean, and what case does it take?

Sine means “without.”

It always takes the ablative case:

sine libris = “without books”
sine libris bonis = “without good books”

So libris bonis must be in the ablative plural because it depends on sine.

Why is libris in this form, and how do I know it is ablative plural?

The noun liber, librī means “book.”

The form libris is:

ablative plural of liber: librīs
It matches sine, which requires the ablative.

For liber (2nd declension, masculine):

nominative sg: librus (actually liber)
genitive sg: librī
dative/ablative plural: librīs

So sine libris literally = “without (by/with/from) books,” idiomatically “without books.”

Why is bonis after libris, and what does it agree with?

Bonis is the ablative plural of the adjective bonus, -a, -um (“good”).

libris: ablative plural, masculine
bonis: ablative plural, masculine

Adjectives in Latin agree with their nouns in gender, number, and case, so bonis is modifying libris: libris bonis = “good books.”

Word order is flexible; bonis libris and libris bonis mean the same thing. Putting bonis second is very common.

Why is it bene and not bonus before vivere?

Bonus is an adjective: “good” (describes a noun).
Bene is an adverb: “well” (describes a verb or action).

bonus liber = “a good book” (adjective + noun)
bene vivere = “to live well” (adverb + verb)

Since vivere (“to live”) is a verb, Latin uses the adverb bene, not the adjective bonus. So bene vivere = “to live well.”

What form is vivere, and what is its role in the sentence?

Vivere is the present active infinitive of vīvere (“to live”).

In this sentence it is the complementary infinitive with possumus (“we are able / we can”):

possumus vivere = “we can live / we are able to live”
bene vivere = “to live well”

So the core idea is: non possumus bene vivere = “we cannot live well.”

What does possumus mean, and how is it formed?

Possumus means “we are able” / “we can.”

It is:

1st person plural,
present tense,
of the irregular verb posse (“to be able”).

It is built from pot- + sumus (we are), with some sound changes: pot-sumus → possumus.

So:

possum = I can
potes = you (sg.) can
potest = he/she/it can
possumus = we can
potestis = you (pl.) can
possunt = they can

Why is there no separate word for “we” in Latin?

Latin usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person and number.

possumus = “we can” (the -mus ending tells you “we”).

You can add nōs (“we”) for emphasis, but it’s not necessary here.
So non possumus on its own clearly means “we cannot.”

Why is non placed before possumus, and does its position matter?

Non is the usual word for “not.”

It normally comes directly before the verb it negates.
non possumus = “we are not able / we cannot.”

Its position is quite fixed; you wouldn’t normally move non far away from the verb in classical Latin.

What is the basic word order here, and how literal is the English translation?

The Latin order:

Sine libris bonis bene vivere non possumus.

Literal:
“Without books good well to-live not we-can.”

Smooth English:
“Without good books we cannot live well.”

Key points:

Latin often puts the finite verb at the end: non possumus.
Modifiers can be flexible: libris bonis / bonis libris.
Infinitives like vivere commonly come before the main verb.

The English translation rearranges the words to sound natural in English while keeping the same meaning.

Could the Latin word order be changed without changing the meaning?

Yes, within reason. For example:

Magistra dicit: “Bene vivere sine libris bonis non possumus.”
Magistra dicit: “Non possumus bene vivere sine libris bonis.”

All of these still mean “The teacher says: ‘Without good books we cannot live well.’”

The core meanings are carried by endings and particles, not by strict word order. Changes in order mainly affect emphasis and rhythm, not basic meaning.

Can sine libris bonis be understood as “apart from good books” or “in the absence of good books”?

Yes. Sine + ablative expresses lack, absence, or separation.

So sine libris bonis can be understood as:

“without good books”
“in the absence of good books”
“apart from good books”

All convey the same idea that good books are necessary for living well in the teacher’s opinion.