Si cives rumoribus falsis non resistunt, fama mala celeriter crescit.

Si means if. This sentence is a conditional sentence:

• Si cives rumoribus falsis non resistunt = If the citizens do not resist false rumors
• fama mala celeriter crescit = bad reputation / evil report grows quickly

In Latin, si introduces the condition, just like if in English.

This is a simple present condition: it expresses something general or likely, not a hypothetical contrary-to-fact idea.

Cives is nominative plural of civis (citizen).

We know it is the subject because:

• it is in the nominative case
• the verb resistunt is 3rd person plural, so it needs a plural subject
• cives matches that perfectly: the citizens ... resist

So:

• cives = the citizens
• subject of resistunt

This is a very common question. In Latin, resisto, resistere does not take a direct object in the accusative. Instead, it takes the dative.

So:

• rumoribus falsis is dative plural
• it means to false rumors
• literally: the citizens do not resist to false rumors
• natural English: the citizens do not resist false rumors

This is just how the verb works in Latin:

• resistere alicui = to resist someone/something

So the construction is completely normal.

Both words are in forms that match the dative plural:

• rumoribus = dative plural of rumor
• falsis = dative plural of falsus, -a, -um

The adjective falsis agrees with rumoribus in:

• case: dative
• number: plural
• gender: masculine

Because resistere takes the dative, rumoribus falsis means to false rumors.

Yes, the order could be reversed. Latin word order is much freer than English word order.

So all of these would still make grammatical sense:

• rumoribus falsis
• falsis rumoribus

The adjective must agree with the noun, but it does not have to stand right next to it.

In this sentence, rumoribus falsis is simply a natural, straightforward order.

Yes, they are related in meaning, which is why this can feel confusing.

A useful distinction here is:

• rumor = a rumor, something being said or spread
• fama = report, reputation, public talk, renown, depending on context

In this sentence:

• rumoribus falsis = false rumors
• fama mala = bad reputation or evil report / bad public talk

So the idea is something like:

• if people do not resist false rumors,
• bad public opinion / bad reputation spreads and grows

Latin often uses closely related words in slightly different shades of meaning.

Because mala must agree with fama.

• fama is feminine singular nominative
• so the adjective must also be feminine singular nominative
• that gives mala

So:

• fama mala = bad reputation / bad report

It cannot be malum, because malum is neuter singular, and it would not agree with fama.

Fama mala is nominative singular.

Why?

Because it is the subject of crescit:

• fama mala = bad reputation
• crescit = grows

So the structure is:

• subject: fama mala
• adverb: celeriter
• verb: crescit

Resistunt is:

• 3rd person plural
• present tense
• active voice
• from resisto, resistere

So it means:

• they resist
• or with non: they do not resist

Because the subject is cives (citizens), the plural ending -unt makes sense.

Crescit is:

• 3rd person singular
• present tense
• active voice
• from cresco, crescere

It means:

• it grows
• it increases

Since the subject is fama mala, which is singular, Latin uses the singular verb crescit.

Latin often uses the present tense for a general truth or a regular result, just as English does.

So this sentence means something like:

• If citizens do not resist false rumors, bad reputation grows quickly.

This is not mainly about one specific future event. It expresses a general principle:

• whenever that condition happens,
• that result follows

So the present tense is very natural here.

Non negates the verb resistunt.

So:

• resistunt = they resist
• non resistunt = they do not resist

It does not negate just one noun or adjective. It negates the whole verbal action.

Celeriter means quickly.

It is an adverb, modifying the verb crescit:

• crescit = grows
• celeriter crescit = grows quickly

It comes from the adjective celer (swift, quick). Many Latin adverbs are formed in this kind of way.

Latin word order is flexible because the endings show the grammar.

This sentence is:

• Si cives rumoribus falsis non resistunt, fama mala celeriter crescit.

But Latin could rearrange parts for emphasis, for example:

• Si rumoribus falsis cives non resistunt, fama mala celeriter crescit.
• Fama mala celeriter crescit, si cives rumoribus falsis non resistunt.

The exact emphasis may change a little, but the core meaning stays the same.

A learner should focus first on:

• case endings
• verb forms
• which words belong together

Those matter more than fixed word order.

Latin has no articles like English the or a/an.

So:

• cives can mean citizens or the citizens
• fama mala can mean bad reputation, a bad reputation, or the bad reputation

The exact wording in English depends on context and what sounds natural in translation.

That is completely normal in Latin: the language usually does not need articles to make sense.