Breakdown of Discipula respondet se mendacium dicere recusare, quamquam timet.
Questions & Answers about Discipula respondet se mendacium dicere recusare, quamquam timet.
Se is the reflexive pronoun, and it refers back to the subject of the main verb, discipula.
So:
- Discipula respondet = The student replies
- se ... recusare = that she refuses ...
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.
Because this is an indirect statement construction.
After verbs like respondet, Latin often uses:
- accusative subject
- infinitive
So in se mendacium dicere recusare:
- se = the subject of the indirect statement, but in the accusative
- recusare = the main infinitive of the indirect statement
This is one of the most important Latin patterns to learn. English often uses that instead:
- Latin: respondet se recusare
- English: she replies that she refuses