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Puer verum dicit, et mater gaudet.

Puer verum dicit, et mater gaudet.
The boy tells the truth, and mother rejoices.
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Questions & Answers about Puer verum dicit, et mater gaudet.

Why is puer in the form puer, and what case is it?

Puer is nominative singular, so it functions as the subject of dicit. It’s a 2nd‑declension masculine noun (like servus), but its nominative singular is irregular-looking because it doesn’t end in -us.

Why does Latin not use the in puer or mater?

Classical Latin has no definite or indefinite articles (no the / a). So puer can mean a boy or the boy depending on context.

What grammatical form is dicit, and how do I recognize it?

Dicit is 3rd person singular, present tense, active indicative of dīcō, dīcere (to say).
A quick recognition tip: -t often marks 3rd person singular in the present (he/she/it …).

Why is verum used here—what case is it, and is it an adjective or a noun?

Verum is accusative singular neuter. Here it’s most naturally the direct object of dicit: the boy says the truth (idiomatically, tells the truth).
It’s historically the adjective vērus, -a, -um (true), but neuter forms are often used substantively (as a noun): verum = a true thing / the truth.

Could verum mean truly instead of the truth?

Yes, verum (or vērō) can sometimes work in an adverb-like way meaning really / truly. But in this sentence, the cleanest beginner reading is as an accusative object after dicit: (he) says the truth.

What case is mater, and why isn’t it matrem?

Mater is nominative singular, so it is the subject of gaudet.
Matrem would be accusative singular, used if it were a direct object (e.g., puer matrem videt = the boy sees his mother).

What form is gaudet, and why does it end in -et?

Gaudet is 3rd person singular, present tense, active indicative of gaudeō, gaudēre (to rejoice / be glad).
Many 2nd‑conjugation verbs have present forms like gaude-t, gaude-mus, etc., with -e- in the stem.

Does gaudet take an object, or how would Latin say what the mother is glad about?

Gaudeō usually doesn’t take a direct object in the accusative. To express what someone is glad about, Latin commonly uses:

  • dē + ablative: mater dē verō gaudet (the mother rejoices about the truth)
  • or sometimes an infinitive/clause in more advanced Latin.
Why is the word order Puer verum dicit and not Puer dicit verum?

Both are possible. Latin word order is flexible because the cases show roles.
Putting verum before dicit can give it a bit of emphasis: the truth is what he’s saying (not something else).

Is the comma before et required?

Not strictly. Latin punctuation varies a lot by edition and period. The comma here simply helps the reader see the two coordinated clauses:

  • Puer verum dicit
  • et mater gaudet
Does et always just mean and?

Most often, yes: et = and. It can also mean also / even depending on context, but here it’s the straightforward and linking two clauses.

Why aren’t pronouns like he and she written?
Latin verbs include the person/number information, so dicit already means he/she/it says, and gaudet means he/she/it rejoices. Pronouns (is/ea/id, etc.) are used only when needed for clarity or emphasis.