Si non es certus, magistram ipsam interroga; ipsa enim optimum consilium saepe dat.

to be

Breakdown of Si non es certus, magistram ipsam interroga; ipsa enim optimum consilium saepe dat.

• non: not
• saepe: often
• magistra: the female teacher

Questions & Answers about Si non es certus, magistram ipsam interroga; ipsa enim optimum consilium saepe dat.

Why is it magistram and not magistra?

Because magistram is the direct object of interroga.

• magistra = the teacher as a subject
• magistram = the teacher as an object

Latin shows a noun’s job in the sentence by its case ending. Here, interroga means ask, and the person being asked is put in the accusative case, so magistra becomes magistram.

What does ipsam mean in magistram ipsam interroga?

ipsam means herself and adds emphasis.

So magistram ipsam interroga means something like:

• ask the teacher herself
• ask the teacher in person
• ask the teacher directly

It is not a separate pronoun standing alone here; it agrees with magistram:

• feminine
• singular
• accusative

That is why it is ipsam, not ipse or ipsa.

Why does the sentence use ipsa again in the second clause?

In the second clause, ipsa again adds emphasis, but now it is nominative because it refers to the subject: