Vitulus matrem quaerit et saepe mugit.

and

Breakdown of Vitulus matrem quaerit et saepe mugit.

• mater: the mother
• saepe: often
• quaerere: to look for

Questions & Answers about Vitulus matrem quaerit et saepe mugit.

What does each word in Vitulus matrem quaerit et saepe mugit do in the sentence?

• Vitulus = the calf / a calf. It is the subject.
• matrem = mother. It is the direct object.
• quaerit = seeks, looks for.
• et = and.
• saepe = often.
• mugit = moos, bellows.

So the structure is:

Vitulus | matrem | quaerit | et | saepe | mugit
subject | object | verb | and | adverb | verb

Why is it matrem and not mater?

Because matrem is the accusative singular form of mater.

In Latin, the direct object usually goes into the accusative case. Since the calf is looking for its mother, mother is the thing being looked for, so Latin uses:

• mater = mother, as a dictionary form / subject form
• matrem = mother, as a direct object

This is one of the most important habits in Latin: the ending changes to show the word’s role in the sentence.

How do we know that vitulus is the subject?