Breakdown of Sed amica mea audet etiam sententias difficiliores statim scribere.
Questions & Answers about Sed amica mea audet etiam sententias difficiliores statim scribere.
Why does the sentence begin with sed?
Why is it amica mea?
Amica mea is the subject of the sentence, so both words are in the nominative singular feminine:
- amica = nominative singular of amica
- mea = nominative singular feminine of meus, mea, meum
They agree because mea is a possessive adjective modifying amica.
Why is the possessive written amica mea instead of mea amica?
Latin word order is more flexible than English word order. Both amica mea and mea amica are possible.
With possessives, Latin often places the possessive adjective after the noun, especially in simple, natural phrasing. So amica mea is a very normal way to say my friend.
The difference is usually not a big one in a sentence like this; it is mostly a matter of style and emphasis.
How does audet ... scribere work?
Audet means she dares, and scribere means to write.
Latin commonly uses a finite verb plus an infinitive in this pattern:
- audet scribere = she dares to write
This is called a complementary infinitive: the infinitive completes the meaning of the main verb.
So:
- audet = 3rd person singular present active of audeo, audere
- scribere = present active infinitive of scribo, scribere
Why is there no separate word for to before scribere?
Because Latin infinitives already include the idea of to in a single word.
So:
- scribere = to write
Latin does not need an extra separate word like English to here.
Why is sententias in the accusative plural?
Because sententias is the direct object of scribere: it is the thing being written.
- scribere quid? = to write what?
- Answer: sententias
Sententia is a first-declension noun, so its accusative plural ends in -as:
- nominative singular: sententia
- accusative plural: sententias
Why is difficiliores used, and what does it agree with?
Difficiliores is a comparative adjective from difficilis (difficult). It agrees with sententias in:
- gender: feminine
- number: plural
- case: accusative
So:
- sententias = accusative plural feminine
- difficiliores = accusative plural feminine (also masculine in form)
Together they mean more difficult sentences.
Comparative adjectives in Latin often use forms in -ior / -ius, and they decline like third-declension adjectives.
Why doesn’t the sentence use quam with difficiliores?
Because quam is only needed when Latin explicitly states the second side of the comparison.
For example:
- sententias difficiliores quam illas = sentences more difficult than those
But if the sentence simply says more difficult sentences without naming what they are being compared with, Latin can just use the comparative adjective by itself:
- sententias difficiliores
What is etiam doing in the sentence?
Etiam means also or even, depending on context and emphasis.
Here it adds the idea that the friend dares to do this as well, or perhaps even this surprisingly difficult thing. It is emphasizing the phrase that follows, especially sententias difficiliores.
Latin adverbs like etiam are fairly movable, and their position can slightly affect emphasis more than basic meaning.
What does statim modify?
Statim is an adverb meaning immediately, at once, or right away. It modifies the action scribere:
- statim scribere = to write immediately
It tells us how quickly she writes them.
Why is statim placed before scribere?
That placement is normal Latin style. Adverbs often appear near the word they modify, but Latin does not require the fixed word order that English does.
So statim scribere is a natural way to say to write immediately.
Latin could move statim elsewhere for a different rhythm or emphasis, while keeping essentially the same basic meaning.
Could the words be in a different order and still mean the same thing?
Yes. Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because grammatical endings show the function of the words.
For example, the sentence could be rearranged in several ways without changing the core meaning, such as:
- Sed mea amica etiam sententias difficiliores statim scribere audet.
- Sed etiam amica mea sententias difficiliores statim scribere audet.
The exact order mainly changes emphasis, focus, or style, not the basic grammatical relationships.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning LatinMaster Latin — from Sed amica mea audet etiam sententias difficiliores statim scribere to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions