Numerus in libro magnus est.

to be

Breakdown of Numerus in libro magnus est.

• in: in
• magnus: large
• liber: the book

Questions & Answers about Numerus in libro magnus est.

What does numerus mean here, and what kind of word is it?

Numerus is a noun meaning number (as in “a number, a quantity,” not the act of numbering).

Grammatically:

• Part of speech: noun
• Gender: masculine
• Number: singular
• Case: nominative
• Role in the sentence: subject

So numerus = the number / a number as the subject of est (is).

Why is numerus in the nominative case?

In Latin, the subject of a verb is put in the nominative case.

• The verb est means is.
• The thing that is something (the “doer” or the topic of the sentence) is numerus, so numerus must be nominative.

That is why you see numerus, not numerum, numerī, etc.

What does in libro mean, and why libro and not librum?

In libro means in the book.

• Librō (written libro without macron) is the ablative singular of liber (book).