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Puer in horto clavem quaerit, sed eam non invenit.

Puer in horto clavem quaerit, sed eam non invenit.
The boy looks for a key in the garden, but he does not find it.
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Questions & Answers about Puer in horto clavem quaerit, sed eam non invenit.

Why is puer in the nominative case here?

Because puer is the subject of the sentence: the person doing the actions (quaerit and invenit). In Latin, the subject is typically in the nominative case.

What does in horto mean grammatically, and why is horto not hortus?

In horto is a prepositional phrase meaning in the garden. The preposition in (when it means location, not motion) takes the ablative case, so hortus becomes hortō (ablative singular).

How do I know that clavem is the direct object, and why is it clavem?

Clavem is the direct object of quaerit (he is searching for something). Direct objects are usually in the accusative case. The noun clāvis (key) is 3rd declension, and its accusative singular is clāvem.

Why does the sentence use eam—what is it referring to, and what case is it?

Eam means her/it (feminine singular) and refers back to clavem (the key). It is accusative singular feminine, because it is the direct object of invenit (he does not find it).
Latin often uses a pronoun like this instead of repeating the noun.

Why is the pronoun feminine (eam) if it means it?

In Latin, pronouns agree with their antecedent in gender and number (and take whatever case their role in the new clause requires). Since clāvis is grammatically feminine, the pronoun is ea/eam, even though English would usually say it.

What tense are quaerit and invenit, and how do we translate them?

Both are present tense, 3rd person singular:

  • quaerit = he searches / is looking for
  • invenit = he finds
    In many contexts English prefers is looking for to show ongoing action, but Latin simple present can cover both habitual and ongoing present depending on context.
Why isn’t the subject repeated in the second clause (why not puer ... sed puer)?

Latin often omits repeated subjects when it’s obvious they’re the same. The verbs quaerit and invenit already mark 3rd singular, and the context makes it clear the boy is still the subject.

What is the function of sed in the sentence?

Sed is a coordinating conjunction meaning but. It links two clauses and signals a contrast: he searches for the key, but he does not find it.

Why is non placed before invenit? Could it go elsewhere?

Non usually negates the word or idea that follows, so non invenit straightforwardly means does not find.
It can sometimes appear earlier for emphasis or scope, but the most common, neutral position is directly before the verb (or before what is being negated).

Is Latin word order important here? Could the words be arranged differently?

Latin word order is flexible because endings show grammatical roles. This sentence could be rearranged (for example, Clavem puer in horto quaerit...) and still mean essentially the same thing.
However, the given order is very natural:

  • subject early (puer)
  • setting phrase (in horto)
  • object before verb (clavem quaerit) and then the contrast clause (sed...).