Puer nucem capit et matri ostendit.

Puer is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case.

Latin changes noun endings to show what role a word plays in the sentence:

• puer = the boy as subject
• puerum = the boy as direct object

Since the boy is the one doing the actions capit and ostendit, Latin uses puer.

Because nucem is the direct object of capit. It is the thing being taken.

The basic dictionary form is nux meaning nut, but in this sentence it has to be in the accusative singular, which is nucem.

So:

• nux = subject form, a nut
• nucem = object form, a nut as something being acted on

A native English speaker often expects word order to show this, but in Latin the ending is what matters most.

Matri is in the dative case, which is often used for the indirect object.

Here, the mother is the person to whom the boy shows the nut. English usually uses to:

• to the mother

Latin often does this without a separate word for to. Instead, it changes the noun ending:

• mater = mother
• matri = to/for the mother

So matri ostendit means he shows [it] to the mother.

Because Latin usually does not need a separate word like to when the noun is in the dative case.

English says:

• He shows it to his mother

Latin can express the same idea just by changing the ending:

• matri = to the mother

This is very common in Latin. Case endings often do the job that English prepositions do.

The verb endings tell us.

Both capit and ostendit are third person singular, so they mean:

• he takes
• he shows

Since puer is the nominative singular noun in the sentence, we understand that the boy is the one doing both actions.

Latin often leaves out subject pronouns like he, she, or they because the verb ending already gives that information.

Because both are third person singular present tense forms.

In this sentence:

• capit = he takes
• ostendit = he shows

The -it ending here tells you the subject is he/she/it. It does not mean the verbs are from the same conjugation or have exactly the same pattern in every form; it just happens that these present-tense forms both end this way.

So the boy performs both actions:

• he takes
• and he shows

Here et connects the two verbs:

• capit et ostendit = takes and shows

The sentence has one subject, puer, doing two actions in sequence.

Of course, et can also connect nouns in other sentences, but here its most natural function is to link the two verb actions.

It matters less in Latin than in English.

English depends heavily on word order:

• The boy takes the nut
• The nut takes the boy
  These mean different things because of position.

Latin depends much more on case endings:

• puer = subject
• nucem = direct object
• matri = indirect object

So Latin word order is more flexible. You could rearrange the sentence in various ways and still keep the same basic meaning, as long as the endings stay the same. The chosen order here is simply a natural, clear one.

No. Nucem is singular accusative, so it means a nut.

If the sentence meant nuts, Latin would use a plural form instead. The ending -em here shows a singular object.

This is another important difference from English: Latin endings often make number very clear.

Yes, ostendit can take:

• a direct object: the thing shown
• an indirect object: the person to whom it is shown

In this sentence:

• nucem = the thing shown
• matri = the person to whom it is shown

So the structure is:

• The boy shows the nut to the mother

This is a very common Latin pattern with verbs of giving, telling, showing, and similar actions.

It is a common type of Latin noun, but English speakers often notice it because they expect a nominative ending like -us.

Many second-declension masculine nouns do end in -us, but some end in -er, such as:

• puer = boy

So puer is still a masculine noun, just with a different nominative singular form. Its ending is normal for its type.

A quick breakdown is:

• puer — nominative singular: the subject
• nucem — accusative singular: the direct object
• matri — dative singular: the indirect object
• capit — he takes
• et — and
• ostendit — he shows

A good habit is to look first for:

1. the verb
2. the nominative noun as subject
3. the accusative noun as direct object
4. the dative noun as indirect object

That approach works very well for a sentence like this.