Magister magnam tabulam parat ut discipuli verba nova clare scribant.

The teacher prepares a large board so that the students may clearly write the new words.

Breakdown of Magister magnam tabulam parat ut discipuli verba nova clare scribant.

• magnus: large
• scribere: to write
• discipulus: the student
• magister: the teacher
• verbum: the word
• novus: new
• clare: clearly
• tabula: the board
• parare: to prepare
• ut: so that

Questions & Answers about Magister magnam tabulam parat ut discipuli verba nova clare scribant.

In this sentence, which words are the subject and which are the objects, since the word order is different from English?

Latin relies on endings more than word order.

• Subject of the main verb:

  • magister = the teacher (nominative singular)

• Verb of the main clause:

  • parat = prepares (3rd person singular present indicative)

• Direct object of the main verb:

  • magnam tabulam = a large board (accusative singular feminine; magnam agrees with tabulam)

Inside the ut-clause:

• Subject of scribant:

  • discipuli = the students (nominative plural)

• Verb of the dependent clause:

  • scribant = (may) write (3rd person plural present subjunctive)

• Direct object of scribant:

  • verba nova = new words (accusative plural neuter; nova agrees with verba)

• Adverb modifying scribant:

  • clare = clearly

Why magnam tabulam and not magna tabula? What does the -am ending mean?

The -am endings show that magna tabula is being used as a direct object.

• tabula is a 1st‑declension noun:

  • nominative singular (subject form): tabula – a board
  • accusative singular (direct object): tabulam – a board (as object)

• magnam is the adjective agreeing with tabulam:

  • magnus, -a, -um = big, great
  • Feminine accusative singular: magnam

So:

• magna tabula = a large board as the subject
• magnam tabulam = a large board as the object

In our sentence, the teacher is doing something to the board (preparing it), so Latin uses the accusative: magnam tabulam.

Why is it scribant and not scribunt? They both look like “they write.”

• scribunt is present indicative: a straightforward statement of fact:

  • discipuli scribunt = the students write / are writing.

• scribant is present subjunctive: used in certain types of subordinate clauses, including purpose clauses introduced by ut.

The pattern ut + subjunctive often expresses purpose:

• ut discipuli verba nova clare scribant
  = so that the students may write the new words clearly
  (or in order that the students may write…)

English often uses “may,” “might,” or “can” in such clauses, but Latin expresses that idea through the subjunctive mood, not a separate helping verb. That’s why scribant (subjunctive) is used instead of scribunt (indicative).

How do we know that ut discipuli verba nova clare scribant is a purpose clause and not some other kind of clause?

Several clues:

1. Position and meaning:
   After a verb like parat (prepares), a clause with ut very naturally answers “why?” or “for what purpose?”

   • He prepares a large board — why?
   • So that the students may write the new words clearly.

2. Subjunctive verb:
   scribant is subjunctive, which is typical in purpose clauses introduced by ut.

3. No marker of result:
   A result clause would also use ut, but usually with a signpost like tam, ita, sic, tantus, adeo etc. in the main clause:

   • tam magnam tabulam parat ut discipuli…
     He prepares such a large board that the students… (result)

Here, there’s no such “so/so much/such” word, and the sense is clearly “in order that”, so this is a purpose clause.

What exactly does clare mean, and how is it related to clarus?

• clarus, -a, -um is an adjective meaning clear, bright, famous.
• clare is the adverb formed from clarus, meaning clearly or distinctly.

In Latin, many 1st/2nd‑declension adjectives form their adverbs by adding -e to the base:

• clarus → clare (clear → clearly)
• magnus → magnopere is irregular, but:
• parvus → parve (classical adverb is more often parum for too little)
• laetus → laete (happy → happily)

So in the sentence:

• clare scribant = that they may write clearly.

clare modifies the verb scribant, not a noun.

Does the order verba nova mean something different from nova verba, or can both be used?

Both orders are grammatically correct, because verba and nova agree in:

• gender: neuter
• number: plural
• case: accusative

Latin word order is flexible, and adjectives can come before or after their nouns. However, there are some tendencies:

• Common / expected / neutral qualities often go after the noun:

  • verba nova = new words (fairly neutral)

• Emphatic / contrastive adjectives can be placed before:

  • nova verba could slightly emphasize new as opposed to old, especially in context.

In isolation, verba nova vs nova verba doesn’t change the core meaning. The difference is mostly about style and emphasis, not basic translation.

What tense and time relationship does scribant have in ut discipuli verba nova clare scribant compared to parat?

• parat is present indicative: he prepares / he is preparing.
• scribant is present subjunctive.

In subordinate clauses of purpose, the present subjunctive generally refers to an action that is:

• contemporaneous with or
• later than

the action of the main verb.

So:

• Magister magnam tabulam parat ut discipuli verba nova clare scribant.
  = The teacher prepares a large board so that the students may write the new words clearly.

The writing happens at the same time as or after the preparing.
It does not mean “so that they are writing” or “so that they have written”; it’s future-oriented purpose from the teacher’s perspective.

What is the difference in meaning between parat and what would be parabat here?

• parat = present indicative

  • He prepares / is preparing / habitually prepares

• parabat = imperfect indicative

  • He was preparing / used to prepare / kept preparing

So:

• Magister magnam tabulam parat ut discipuli verba nova clare scribant.
  = The teacher (now) prepares a large board so that the students may write…

If we changed it to:

• Magister magnam tabulam parabat ut discipuli verba nova clare scriberent.
  (note the change to scriberent, the imperfect subjunctive)

it would mean:

• The teacher *was preparing a large board so that the students might write the new words clearly.*

So parat gives you a present-time, general or current action; parabat places it in ongoing past time.

How is the form scribant built from the verb “to write”? What are its principal parts and conjugation?

The verb “to write” is:

• scrībō, scrībere, scrīpsī, scrīptum (3rd conjugation)

To form scribant (3rd person plural present subjunctive active):

1. Take the present stem: scrīb- (from scrībō).
2. For 3rd conjugation present subjunctive, change the stem vowel to -a-:
   • scrīb- → scriba-
3. Add the personal ending -nt for 3rd person plural:
   • scriba-
     • -nt → scribant

Meaning: “(that) they may write” in a context like a purpose clause with ut:
ut discipuli verba nova clare scribant.

What gender is magister, and how would you say “female teacher”?

• magister, magistrī (m.) is masculine, meaning teacher, master (especially male teacher).

To refer to a female teacher, Latin uses the feminine form:

• magistra, magistrae (f.) = female teacher, schoolmistress.

So:

• Magister magnam tabulam parat…
  = The (male) teacher prepares a large board…

You could say:

• Magistra magnam tabulam parat ut discipuli verba nova clare scribant.
  = The (female) teacher prepares a large board so that the students may write the new words clearly.

Does tabula really mean “board”? It looks a lot like “table.”

tabula has a wider meaning than English “board.” It can mean:

• a writing tablet (wax tablet)
• a board or plank
• a map or chart
• sometimes even a painting (a picture on a panel)

In a school context, magna tabula is naturally understood as a large writing surface for the class, so English “board” (like a chalkboard or whiteboard) is a good translation.

The English word “table” is related historically, but in Latin mensa is the usual word for a dining table. tabula is more about a flat board/panel, often for writing.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in magister magnam tabulam parat? How do we know if it’s “the teacher” or “a teacher”?

Classical Latin has no separate words for the definite or indefinite articles (“the,” “a/an”). Nouns appear without articles:

• magister can mean:
  • teacher
  • a teacher
  • the teacher
• Context decides what sounds natural in English.

In a textbook or narrative context, Magister magnam tabulam parat… is usually translated as:

• The teacher prepares a large board…

We add “the” and “a” in English simply to make the sentence sound idiomatic. Latin leaves those distinctions mostly to context and word order / emphasis, not to separate little words.