Si nota mala in charta est, discipulus tristis non fit, sed melius laborare conatur.

Si means if and introduces a condition.

So Si nota mala in charta est is the if-clause, and the rest of the sentence tells what happens in that situation.

In this sentence, the verbs are in the present tense, so the sense is something like a general truth or usual situation:

• If there is a bad mark on the paper, ...

Both nota and mala are nominative singular feminine.

• nota = mark, note, grade
• mala = bad

They match because mala describes nota. This is adjective agreement: the adjective agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Here nota mala is the subject of est.

Because in with the ablative is used for location.

• charta is ablative singular
• so in charta means on the paper or in/on the paper

A learner often expects in to mean only in, but in Latin it can also correspond to English on, depending on context.

If there were motion into something, Latin would usually use in with the accusative instead.

Latin is simply expressing the idea differently.

Literally, nota mala in charta est means something like:

• a bad mark is on the paper

English might prefer:

• there is a bad mark on the paper
• the paper has a bad mark
• the student gets a bad mark on the paper

Latin often uses a more direct is / is located structure where English uses a different phrasing.

Because fit means becomes, not just is.

• est = is
• fit = becomes, comes to be

So:

• discipulus tristis non fit = the student does not become sad

If you said tristis non est, that would mean the student is not sad, which is a different idea.

Because tristis is a predicate adjective with fit, and predicate adjectives are in the nominative, not the accusative.

• discipulus is nominative
• tristis agrees with discipulus, so it is also nominative

The pattern is like:

• discipulus tristis fit = the student becomes sad

This is similar to puella laeta est = the girl is happy. The adjective describes the subject, so it stays nominative.

Discipulus is nominative singular masculine, and yes, it is the subject of both:

• non fit
• conatur

Latin often states the subject once and then continues with more than one verb referring to that same subject.

So the sentence means that the student:

• does not become sad
• but tries to work better

Because non normally negates the word or phrase that follows, and very often it comes directly before the verb.

So:

• non fit = does not become

This is a very common and natural position for non in Latin.

Sed means but, and it introduces a contrast.

The contrast is:

• he does not become sad
• but he tries to work better

So sed is linking two opposite reactions: one negative reaction that does not happen, and one better reaction that does happen.

Because melius here is an adverb, modifying laborare.

• melior = better as an adjective
• melius = better as an adverb

Since the sentence means to work better, Latin needs the adverb:

• melius laborare = to work better

A quick comparison:

• discipulus melior est = the student is better
• discipulus melius laborat = the student works better

Because it depends on conatur.

Conor means try, and it commonly takes a complementary infinitive:

• conatur laborare = he tries to work

So:

• melius laborare conatur = he tries to work better

The infinitive laborare is not the main verb of the sentence. The main verb is conatur.

Because conor, conari, conatus sum is a deponent verb.

Deponent verbs:

• have passive-looking forms
• but active meanings

So:

• conatur looks passive in form
• but means he/she tries

This is completely normal for deponent verbs.

Some present tense forms of conor are:

• conor = I try
• conaris = you try
• conatur = he/she tries

Because Latin usually does not need an explicit subject pronoun when the verb ending already shows the person and number.

• conatur already means he/she tries
• and the sentence has already named the subject: discipulus

So Latin can simply continue with conatur without adding is or another pronoun.

English usually needs he, but Latin often does not.

Yes, Latin word order is much freer than English word order.

This sentence is perfectly normal, but Latin could rearrange the words and still keep the same basic meaning, because the endings show the grammar.

For example, the sentence could be rearranged in various ways for emphasis. The chosen order is clear and natural:

• condition first: Si nota mala in charta est
• then the main response: discipulus tristis non fit
• then the contrast: sed melius laborare conatur

So the order helps the sentence flow, even though Latin is not as fixed as English.