Ex monte ad vallem aqua currit.

the water

Breakdown of Ex monte ad vallem aqua currit.

• ad: to
• currere: to run
• ex: from

Questions & Answers about Ex monte ad vallem aqua currit.

Why is it monte and not mons?

Because ex takes the ablative case, and the ablative singular of mons (mountain) is monte.

So:

• mons = mountain as a dictionary form / nominative
• monte = from the mountain after ex

This is a very common Latin pattern: a preposition often tells you what case the following noun must be in.

Why is it vallem and not vallis?

Because ad takes the accusative case, and the accusative singular of vallis (valley) is vallem.

So:

• vallis = dictionary form / nominative
• vallem = to/toward the valley after ad

In this sentence, ad vallem shows motion toward a place.

What cases do ex and ad normally take?

In this sentence:

• ex
  • ablative = out of / from
• ad
  • accusative = to / toward