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Domina servum iubet librum e mensa tollere.

Domina servum iubet librum e mensa tollere.
The mistress orders the servant to take the book from the table.
FromLesson 10inHardcore Latin
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Questions & Answers about Domina servum iubet librum e mensa tollere.

Why is domina in the nominative case?
Because domina is the subject of the main verb iubet (orders). In Latin, the subject of a finite verb is normally in the nominative.
Why is servum accusative instead of dative (like English to the slave)?

With verbs of ordering like iubeō, Latin commonly uses the pattern:
iubeō + accusative (person ordered) + infinitive (action).
So servum is the person being ordered, and it goes in the accusative. (A dative is more typical with other “ordering” verbs such as imperō.)

What exactly is the grammar of iubet … tollere?

iubet is a finite verb (he/she orders) and tollere is a present infinitive (to pick up / to take away).
Together they form an indirect command construction: orders [someone] to do [something].

Why are there two accusatives (servum and librum)?

They have different roles:

  • servum = accusative of the person ordered (object of iubet)
  • librum = accusative object of the infinitive tollere (what is being picked up)

So you’re not getting “double object” of the same verb; each accusative belongs to a different verb.

Is librum the object of iubet or of tollere?

It’s the object of tollere. The core inside the infinitive phrase is:
librum tollere = to pick up the book.
The whole command is then: servum iubet [librum tollere].

Why is it e mensa and not ex mensa?

ē/ex both mean out of / from, and the choice is mostly phonetic:

  • ē typically before consonants (like mensa)
  • ex often before vowels or some consonant clusters
    Both are correct Latin; ē mensā is the common choice here.
Why is mensa in the ablative (mensā)?

Because ē/ex takes the ablative case to show motion from a place.
So ē mensā = from (off) the table.

Could this sentence be written with a different word order?

Yes. Latin word order is flexible because endings show grammatical roles. For example:

  • Domina iubet servum librum ē mensā tollere.
  • Librum domina servum ē mensā tollere iubet.
    These emphasize different words, but the basic meaning remains the same.
What tense is tollere, and does it show when the action happens?
tollere is a present infinitive. In an indirect command after iubet, it usually indicates an action that is contemporaneous or subsequent to the ordering—i.e., she orders him to (go and) pick it up.
What does tollere literally mean, and why is it used for “take away / pick up”?

tollō, tollere literally means to lift. From “lift,” it naturally extends to:

  • pick up (lift from a surface)
  • remove / take away (lift and carry off)
    With ē mensā, the “lift from the table” idea fits very well.