Breakdown of Discipulus veritatem dicere cupit, sed timet.
Questions & Answers about Discipulus veritatem dicere cupit, sed timet.
Because dicere (to say) takes a direct object: you say something. The thing being said is veritas (truth), so it appears as veritatem, the accusative singular form, to mark it as the direct object of dicere.
Because cupit (he wants/desires) commonly takes a complementary infinitive to complete its meaning:
- cupit dicere = he wants to say.
So dicere depends on cupit and does not carry its own subject/tense.
The verb endings show it.
- cupit = 3rd person singular (he/she/it wants)
- timet = 3rd person singular (he/she/it fears)
And discipulus is a nominative singular noun (the student) that supplies the subject for both verbs.