Breakdown of Mater rogat filiam: "Quid nunc facis in cubiculo?"
in
in
mater
the mother
filia
the daughter
nunc
now
Questions & Answers about Mater rogat filiam: "Quid nunc facis in cubiculo?"
Why is filiam (not filia) used after rogat?
In Latin, the direct object of most verbs is put in the accusative case.
- mater = subject (nominative) → the mother
- rogat = verb → asks
- filiam = direct object (accusative) → (her) daughter
So mater rogat filiam literally means the mother asks the daughter.
If it were filia (nominative), it would mean the daughter is the one doing the action, which would change the meaning to the daughter asks.
Could you also say rogat filiam quid faciat? What is the difference?
Yes, you can, but it changes the structure:
mater rogat filiam: "Quid nunc facis in cubiculo?"
= The mother asks her daughter: "What are you doing...?" (direct speech)mater filiam rogat quid nunc faciat in cubiculo
= The mother asks her daughter what she is doing... (indirect question, in reported speech)
In direct speech, you quote the exact words, so you use normal verb forms: facis.
In an indirect question, Latin uses the subjunctive: faciat instead of facis.
Why is there no word for you in quid nunc facis?