Breakdown of Puer capram vocat, sed capra ad ovem currit.
puer
the boy
sed
but
ad
to
vocare
to call
currere
to run
capra
the goat
ovis
the sheep
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Questions & Answers about Puer capram vocat, sed capra ad ovem currit.
Why is capram ending in -am in Puer capram vocat?
Because capram is the direct object of vocat (calls). The verb vocare takes an object in the accusative case.
- capra = nominative singular (the goat as subject)
- capram = accusative singular (the goat as object)
Why is it puer (not something like puerum) at the start?
puer is the subject of vocat, so it’s in the nominative case. In this sentence, puer is doing the action (calling).
How can I tell who is doing what, especially since both puer and capra are “the goat/boy” words?
Latin relies heavily on case endings rather than word order. Here:
- puer (nominative) = subject → does the calling
- capram (accusative) = object → gets called
Then in the second clause: - capra (nominative) = subject → does the running
- ovem (accusative after ad) = destination/goal
What form is vocat?
vocat is 3rd person singular present indicative active of vocare. It means he/she/it calls. Here it matches puer (a singular subject).
What form is currit?
currit is 3rd person singular present indicative active of currere. It means he/she/it runs. It matches the singular subject capra.
Why is capra repeated in the second half instead of using a pronoun?
Latin can use pronouns, but it often repeats the noun for clarity, especially in simple sentences for learners. capra clearly signals the subject of the second clause: but the goat runs...
What does sed do in the sentence?
sed is a coordinating conjunction meaning but. It links two main clauses:
- Puer capram vocat
- capra ad ovem currit
and marks a contrast: the boy calls the goat, but the goat runs elsewhere.
Why does Latin use ad with ovem?
ad means to/toward and it takes the accusative case. So ovem is accusative because it’s the object of the preposition ad. The phrase ad ovem means to/toward the sheep.
Why is it ovem and not ovis?
Because ovis is nominative, but after ad you need the accusative. ovis (sheep) is a 3rd-declension noun:
- nominative singular: ovis
- accusative singular: ovem
Is the comma required in Latin: Puer capram vocat, sed ...?
In many modern editions, a comma before sed is common (similar to English), but ancient Latin manuscripts didn’t use punctuation the way we do. The comma here is mainly to make the structure easier to read.
Does Latin word order matter here? Could it be rearranged?
Yes, it can be rearranged quite a bit because the endings carry the grammar. For example, you could also see:
- Capram puer vocat, sed capra ad ovem currit.
The meaning stays basically the same, though word order can change emphasis.
What declensions are puer, capra, and ovis?
- puer, pueri = 2nd declension masculine (boy)
- capra, caprae = 1st declension feminine (goat)
- ovis, ovis = 3rd declension feminine (sheep)