Servus ante ianuam stat.

The servant stands in front of the door.

Breakdown of Servus ante ianuam stat.

• stare: to stand
• ianua: the door
• servus: the servant
• ante: in front of

Questions & Answers about Servus ante ianuam stat.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in this Latin sentence?

Latin normally has no separate words for “the” or “a/an.”
So:

• servus can mean “a slave” or “the slave,”
• ianuam can mean “a door” or “the door.”

Whether it’s “a” or “the” is decided by context, not by a special article word as in English.

What is the grammatical role and form of servus?

Servus is:

• Case: nominative
• Number: singular
• Gender: masculine
• Function: it is the subject of the verb stat (“stands”).

In a basic Latin sentence, the subject is usually in the nominative case, so servus = “a/the slave” as the one doing the standing.

What is the grammatical role and form of ianuam?