Learn Hardcore Latin: Frater foris currit, soror intus in villa manet. - The brother runs outside, the sister stays inside in the house.

frater = brother
- Dictionary form: frāter, frātris (masculine, 3rd declension)
- Case: nominative (subject)
- Number: singular
- Role: subject of currit
soror = sister
- Dictionary form: soror, sorōris (feminine, 3rd declension)
- Case: nominative (subject)
- Number: singular
- Role: subject of manet

So we literally have: Frater currit = The/A brother runs, soror manet = The/A sister remains.

What are currit and manet exactly (tense, person, number, etc.)?

Both are 3rd person singular, present tense, active, indicative verbs.

currit
- From currō, currere, cucurrī, cursum (to run)
- Person: 3rd
- Number: singular
- Tense: present
- Voice: active
- Mood: indicative
- Meaning here: he/she/it runs or is running
manet
- From maneō, manēre, mānsī, mānsum (to remain, stay)
- Person: 3rd
- Number: singular
- Tense: present
- Voice: active
- Mood: indicative
- Meaning here: he/she/it remains or is staying

Latin present tense usually covers both English simple present (runs, stays) and present progressive (is running, is staying). Context decides which English form sounds better.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” before frater and soror?

Latin has no articles (no the, a, or an).

Whether you translate frater as the brother or a brother depends on context, not on any specific Latin word. The same is true for soror.

So:

frater can be the brother or a brother
soror can be the sister or a sister

If the brother and sister are already known in the story, English prefers the. If they’re mentioned for the first time, a might be more natural in English.

What are foris and intus? Are they nouns, prepositions, or something else?

In this sentence, foris and intus are adverbs of place.

foris: outside, out of doors (location)
intus: inside, within (location)

As adverbs:

they do not show case (no nominative/accusative/ablative, etc.),
they do not govern another word (unlike prepositions),
they modify the verb directly:
- currit foris = (he) runs outside
- manet intus = (she) stays inside

What’s the difference between foris and forās, or between intus and intrō?

Latin often distinguishes place where (static location) from place to which (motion towards).

foris = outside, out of doors (location: where?)
forās = out, outside, outward (direction: to where?)
intus = inside, within (location: where?)
intrō = inside, to the inside (direction: to where?)

In very careful usage:

foris sedet = he sits outside
forās currit = he runs out(side)

But Latin is not perfectly rigid here, and you can find foris with verbs of motion, as in your sentence. For a learner, it’s useful to remember the tendency:

foris / intus → position
forās / intrō → motion

Your sentence is still good Latin as written.

What is in vīllā doing here, and why is vīllā in the ablative?

in vīllā expresses location: in the house / in the villa.

in with the ablative usually means in, on, at (place where).
vīllā is ablative singular of vīlla, vīllae (1st declension feminine).

So:

in vīllā (ablative) = in the house (static location)
in vīllam (accusative) = into the house (motion towards)

In your sentence, soror intus in vīllā manet emphasizes that the sister stays inside, in the house, not outside.

Isn’t intus already “inside”? Why add in vīllā as well? Isn’t that redundant?

They overlap in meaning, but they each add a nuance.

intus: inside, indoors, within (very general)
in vīllā: specifies exactly where she is inside: inside the house / villa.

Together:

soror intus manet = the sister stays inside (as opposed to being outside)
soror intus in vīllā manet = the sister stays inside, in the house (not in some other building or inside a cave, etc.)

This kind of reinforcement is common in Latin, especially when contrasting with foris (outside).

Why doesn’t Latin use separate words for “he” or “she” here? Why no is or ea?

Latin is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns (like ego, tū, is, ea) are often omitted because the verb ending already tells you the person and number.

In this sentence the nouns themselves (frater, soror) serve as subjects, so Latin does not need extra pronouns:

frater currit – the brother runs (literally: brother runs)
soror manet – the sister stays (literally: sister stays)

You would normally only add is, ea, ille, illa, etc., if you need extra emphasis, contrast, or clarity (for example, to contrast he vs she in a more complex context).

How flexible is the word order here? Could we rearrange the words?

Latin word order is fairly flexible, because grammar is shown mainly by endings, not by position.

Your sentence is:

Frater foris currit, soror intus in vīllā manet.

You could also say, for example:

Frater currit foris, soror manet intus in vīllā.
Foris frater currit, in vīllā intus soror manet.
Frater currit foris, soror in vīllā intus manet.

All are understandable. However:

Subjects (frater, soror) often appear early in simple sentences.
Verbs (currit, manet) often move toward the end in more classical prose.
Changing order can create slight changes in emphasis (putting something first often highlights it).

Your version nicely parallels frater … soror and foris … intus, making the contrast clear.

Why is there only a comma between the two clauses, not a word like et (and) or sed (but)?

Latin frequently uses asyndeton: putting clauses side by side without a conjunction.

Your sentence literally has:

Frater foris currit, soror intus in vīllā manet.

English likes to show the connection explicitly, so we might translate:

The brother runs outside, *but the sister stays inside in the house.*
or
The brother runs outside *and the sister stays inside in the house.*

In Latin, if you wanted to be explicit, you could say:

Frater foris currit, sed soror intus in vīllā manet. (but)
Frater foris currit et soror intus in vīllā manet. (and)

The version without a conjunction is perfectly natural and even a bit brisk stylistically.

Does vīlla mean exactly the same as English “house”?

Not exactly; vīlla has a bit more specific flavor.

In classical Latin:

vīlla = a country house, farmhouse, or estate, often with land attached.
It contrasts with domus, which is a house/home more generally (often in a town).

However, for beginner sentences, vīlla is often just taught as house, and that is usually a fine translation unless the rural setting matters.

So in vīllā can be in the house, in the villa, or in the country house, depending on the context and level of precision you want.

Can frāter and soror also mean things like “monk/brother” or “nun/sister” in a religious sense?

In classical Latin, frāter and soror primarily mean biological brother and sister.

In Christian / ecclesiastical Latin, they are often used in a religious sense:

frāter = brother in a religious community, e.g. a monk or friar.
soror = sister in a religious community, e.g. a nun.

In a simple beginner sentence like yours, without any religious context, they are best understood as ordinary brother and sister.

How should I pronounce Frāter foris currit, soror intus in vīllā manet in Classical Latin?

Using reconstructed Classical pronunciation:

Frāter → FRAH‑ter
foris → FOH‑ris (short o)
currit → KOOR‑rit (rolled r, short u)
soror → SOH‑ror
intus → IN‑tus (short i in both syllables)
in vīllā → in WEEL‑lā (double l, long ī and long final ā)
manet → MAH‑net

Rough IPA (Classical):
[ˈfraː.tɛr ˈfɔ.rɪt ˈkur.rɪt | ˈsɔ.rɔr ˈɪn.tʊs ɪn ˈwiːl.laː ˈma.nɛt]

Key points:

c is always /k/, never /s/ or /tʃ/.
v is pronounced like English w.
Double consonants (rr, ll) are actually held longer.
The macrons (ā, ī, etc.) mark long vowels.

Why can we translate currit as both “runs” and “is running”?

Latin has one present tense where English has two main present forms:

currit covers:
- he runs (simple present)
- he is running (present progressive)

The Latin present indicates ongoing or general present time, and context tells you what fits best.

So both:

The brother runs outside
and
The brother is running outside

are valid translations of Frāter foris currit; you simply choose whichever sounds better in English in the given context.