Mater dicit se panem et olivas empturam esse.

Mother says that she is going to buy bread and olives.

Breakdown of Mater dicit se panem et olivas empturam esse.

• esse: to be
• et: and
• mater: the mother
• panis: the bread

Questions & Answers about Mater dicit se panem et olivas empturam esse.

What is the overall grammar pattern of Mater dicit se panem et olivas empturam esse?

This sentence uses a very common Latin construction: a main verb of saying + an indirect statement.

Breakdown:

• Mater = mother
• dicit = says
• se panem et olivas empturam esse = the indirect statement

So the structure is:

• Mater dicit = Mother says
• se ... empturam esse = that she will buy ...

In Latin, indirect statements normally use:

• a subject in the accusative
• an infinitive instead of a finite verb

So instead of English Mother says that she will buy bread and olives, Latin says, more literally:

Mother says herself bread and olives about-to-buy to be.

That sounds strange in English, but it is perfectly normal Latin.

Why is se used here?

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

Here it refers back to Mater, the subject of dicit. So:

• Mater dicit se... = Mother says that she...

Latin uses se when the subject of the indirect statement is the same person as the subject of the main verb.

So:

• Mater dicit se empturam esse =