Magistra ipsa mendum cito corrigit.

the female teacher

Breakdown of Magistra ipsa mendum cito corrigit.

• cito: quickly
• mendum: the mistake
• corrigere: to correct

Questions & Answers about Magistra ipsa mendum cito corrigit.

Why is magistra used instead of magister?

Magistra is the feminine form meaning female teacher.
Magister is the masculine form meaning male teacher.

So if the sentence is about a woman, Latin uses magistra.

What does ipsa mean here?

Ipsa means herself or adds emphasis, like the teacher herself.

It does not introduce a new person. Instead, it strengthens magistra:

• magistra corrigit = the teacher corrects
• magistra ipsa corrigit = the teacher herself corrects

This can suggest contrast or emphasis, as if saying:

• the teacher herself corrects the mistake
• the teacher personally corrects it

Why is it ipsa and not some other form like ipse or ipsum?

Because ipsa has to agree with magistra.

Both words are:

• nominative
• singular
• feminine

Latin adjectives and emphatic pronouns like ipse, ipsa, ipsum must match the noun they go with in .