Epistula tua mihi grata est.

Epistula is nominative singular, because it is the subject of the sentence.

The sentence is built like this:

• epistula = letter
• tua = your
• mihi = to me
• grata est = is pleasing / is welcome

So epistula tua means your letter, and that is the thing being described as grata.

Because tua has to agree with epistula.

In Latin, possessive adjectives like meus, tuus, suus must match the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Since epistula is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

the possessive must also be feminine singular nominative: tua.

So:

• epistula tua = your letter

Mihi is the dative singular of ego.

The adjective gratus, grata, gratum often takes a dative to show the person to whom something is pleasing, welcome, or agreeable.

So:

• mihi grata est = is pleasing to me / is welcome to me

This is different from English, where we often say I like your letter. Latin does not say that here. Instead, it says something more like:

• Your letter is pleasing to me

So mihi is exactly the form Latin needs.

Here grata means something like:

• pleasing
• welcome
• dear
• agreeable

So the full sentence can be understood as:

• Your letter is welcome to me
• Your letter is pleasing to me

A beginner may connect gratus with English grateful, but in Latin the adjective often means pleasing from the point of view of the person receiving something.

So this sentence does not literally mean I am grateful for your letter. It means the letter is welcome or pleasing to me.

Because grata agrees with epistula.

Since epistula is a feminine singular noun, the adjective describing it must also be feminine singular:

• masculine: gratus
• feminine: grata
• neuter: gratum

So:

• epistula grata = a welcome/pleasing letter

Est means is. It is the third person singular present of esse (to be).

It links the subject epistula tua with the adjective grata:

• Epistula tua = subject
• grata = predicate adjective
• est = is

So the structure is:

• Your letter
  • is
    • welcome/pleasing
      • to me

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order.

Putting est at the end is very natural in Latin, especially in a simple statement like this. Latin often places the verb late in the sentence.

So all of these are possible, though with slightly different emphasis:

• Epistula tua mihi grata est
• Tua epistula mihi grata est
• Mihi epistula tua grata est

English usually needs a more fixed order, but Latin uses endings to show grammatical relationships, so the order can move around more freely.

Yes. That would also be correct.

Both epistula tua and tua epistula can mean your letter. Latin often places the possessive adjective after the noun, but it can come before it too.

The difference is usually one of style, rhythm, or emphasis, not basic meaning.

In English, yes, we translate mihi with to me.

But in Latin there is no preposition here. The dative case by itself expresses that idea.

So:

• mihi = to me / for me

This is a very common use of the dative, especially with words meaning:

• pleasing
• suitable
• friendly
• harmful
• useful

It is very close in meaning, but not identical in structure.

English says:

• I like your letter

Latin here says:

• Your letter is pleasing to me

So the overall meaning is similar, but Latin is expressing the idea from a different angle. This is a very common thing in Latin: instead of making I the subject, Latin often makes the thing liked or disliked the subject.

Yes. Epistula is a standard Latin word for a written letter or message.

You may also see the spelling epistola in some texts or later Latin traditions. Both forms are known, but epistula is very common in classical Latin.

Sometimes Latin can omit est, especially in poetry, informal style, or when the meaning is obvious from context.

But in a normal beginner sentence like this, keeping est is standard and helpful:

• Epistula tua mihi grata est

So yes, omission is possible in some contexts, but this full version is the clearest and most straightforward form.

A very literal translation is:

• Your letter is pleasing to me

A more natural English translation might be:

• Your letter is welcome
• I was glad to get your letter
• Your letter pleased me

The exact English wording depends on context, but the Latin structure is most literally Your letter is welcome/pleasing to me.