Servus statim ex atrio exit et ianuam claudit.

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Breakdown of Servus statim ex atrio exit et ianuam claudit.

• claudere: to close
• ianua: the door
• servus: the servant

Questions & Answers about Servus statim ex atrio exit et ianuam claudit.

Why does servus mean the slave/servant if there’s no word for the?

Latin has no definite or indefinite articles (the / a). Whether servus is a slave or the slave depends on context. In a story, if the slave has already been introduced, servus will often be translated the slave.

What case is servus, and how do I know it’s the subject?

Servus is nominative singular, which is the usual case for the subject of a finite verb. Here it matches the singular verbs exit and claudit, so servus is doing both actions.

How can one subject do two verbs? Do I need to repeat servus?

No. Latin (like English) can use one subject for multiple verbs joined by et:
servus … exit et … claudit = the slave goes out and shuts (the door).
The subject is understood with both verbs.

What does statim do in the sentence, and where can it go?

Statim is an adverb meaning immediately / at once. It modifies the action and is flexible in position. You’ll often see it near the beginning for emphasis, but it could also appear later without changing the basic meaning.