Breakdown of Avia puero flenti dicit cor eius bonum esse et lacrimas eius tergit.
Questions & Answers about Avia puero flenti dicit cor eius bonum esse et lacrimas eius tergit.
Because it is the indirect object of dicit.
- dicit = she says
- She says something to the boy
- In Latin, the person to whom something is said is usually put in the dative
So:
- puero = to the boy
- flenti = crying, agreeing with puero
Together, puero flenti means to the crying boy.
Because flenti has to agree with puero.
The participle flens means crying, but its form changes depending on case, number, and gender, just like an adjective.
Since puero is:
- dative
- singular
- masculine
the participle must also be:
- dative
- singular
- masculine
So:
- nominative: flens
- accusative: flentem
- dative: flenti
That is why Latin uses puero flenti.