Learn Hardcore Latin: Discipula respondet se mendacium dicere recusare, quamquam timet. - The student answers that she refuses to tell a lie, although she is afraid.

Breakdown of Discipula respondet se mendacium dicere recusare, quamquam timet.

Why is se used here instead of eam or some other pronoun?

Se is the reflexive pronoun, and it refers back to the subject of the main verb, discipula.

So:

Latin uses se in indirect statement when the subject of the indirect statement is the same person as the subject of the main verb.

If Latin used eam, that would normally mean her as someone else, not the student herself.

Why is se in the accusative?

Because this is an indirect statement construction.

After verbs like respondet, Latin often uses:

So in se mendacium dicere recusare:

This is one of the most important Latin patterns to learn. English often uses that instead:

Why is there no Latin word for that?