Maritus quoque in speculo se spectat et tunicam puram induit.

Quoque means also or too.

Latin often places quoque after the word it especially relates to. So:

• maritus quoque = the husband also / the husband too

This is normal Latin word order for quoque. Unlike English also, it usually does not come before the word it modifies.

Because in can take two different cases depending on the meaning:

• in + ablative = in/on a place, showing location
• in + accusative = into/onto a place, showing motion toward

Here the meaning is in the mirror, meaning location, not movement. So Latin uses the ablative:

• in speculo = in the mirror

If someone were moving into something, then the accusative might be used, but not here.

Se is the reflexive pronoun, meaning himself/herself/themselves depending on the subject.

In this sentence, the husband is looking at himself, not at some other man. So Latin uses:

• se spectat = he looks at himself

If Latin used a non-reflexive pronoun, it would mean he was looking at someone else.

Because spectare means to look at or to watch, and here Latin wants to state what he is looking at: himself.

So:

• spectat = he looks / he watches
• se spectat = he looks at himself

English sometimes leaves this kind of thing understood from context, but Latin often states it clearly.

A useful distinction is:

• videt = sees
• spectat = looks at, watches, examines with the eyes

So se spectat in speculo suggests more than simply noticing himself. It gives the idea that he is looking at himself in the mirror.

Because tunicam is the direct object of induit: it is the thing he puts on.

The adjective puram describes tunicam, so it must agree with it in:

• gender: feminine
• number: singular
• case: accusative

So:

• tunicam = accusative singular feminine
• puram = accusative singular feminine

This agreement is one of the most important features of Latin adjectives.

Here induit means puts on or dresses himself in.

So:

• tunicam puram induit = he puts on a clean tunic

This verb is commonly used for clothing in Latin.

One thing learners sometimes notice is that a form like induit can look ambiguous out of context, but in a simple sentence like this it is naturally understood as a present tense verb: he puts on.

Latin has no articles like English the or a/an.

So a noun like maritus can mean:

• the husband
• a husband

and tunicam puram can mean:

• the clean tunic
• a clean tunic

The exact sense depends on the context. In reading Latin, you often have to supply the or a naturally when translating.

Latin word order is more flexible than English word order because the endings show the grammatical roles.

So this sentence could be rearranged in various ways without changing the basic meaning. For example, Latin can move words around for:

• emphasis
• style
• rhythm

In the given sentence, the order is fairly straightforward:

• Maritus quoque — the husband too
• in speculo se spectat — looks at himself in the mirror
• et tunicam puram induit — and puts on a clean tunic

Even though Latin word order is flexible, it is not random: different orders can slightly change what is emphasized.