Donec imber desinat, intra domum manemus.

Donec means until here. It introduces a temporal clause: a clause that tells us up to what point the action of the main clause continues.

So in this sentence:

• Donec imber desinat = until the rain stops
• intra domum manemus = we stay inside the house

The idea is: we remain inside up to the point when the rain stops.

Because after donec, Latin often uses the subjunctive when the action is viewed as anticipated, future, or not yet completed from the speaker’s point of view.

So:

• desinit = it stops (indicative)
• desinat = it may stop / should stop / stops in a subjunctive clause

Here the rain has not stopped yet. The stopping is something expected in the future, so desinat is natural.

This is a common pattern with temporal conjunctions in Latin.

Desinat is:

• 3rd person singular
• present subjunctive active
• from the verb desinere = to stop, cease

Why 3rd person singular? Because its subject is imber:

• imber = the rain
• so the rain stops = imber desinat

Imber is the subject of desinat, so it is in the nominative singular.

Basic structure:

• imber = the rain / the rainstorm
• desinat = stops / may stop

So together: imber desinat = the rain stops

A learner might expect a word more like pluvia, but imber is a perfectly normal Latin word for rain, often with a slightly more concrete sense like rainfall or storm-rain.

Because intra as a preposition takes the accusative.

So:

• intra = inside, within
• domum = accusative form of domus = house

Therefore:

• intra domum = inside the house

Even though English uses inside without making us think about case, Latin requires the noun after intra to be accusative.

Yes. Latin has several ways to express in the house / at home, with slightly different flavors.

• in domo = in the house
• domi = at home
• intra domum = inside the house

Intra domum emphasizes being within the interior of the house.
Domi is often more idiomatic for at home in a general sense.

So this sentence is perfectly correct, but it is not the only possible way to express the idea.

Domum is the accusative singular of domus.

• domus = nominative singular = house
• domum = accusative singular

Since intra takes the accusative, Latin uses domum here.

A learner may notice that domus is an unusual noun with some irregularities, but in this sentence the key point is simply:

• intra + accusative
• therefore intra domum

Manemus is from manere, meaning to remain, stay, or wait depending on context.

Here it means we stay or we remain.

Form:

• 1st person plural
• present indicative active

So manemus = we stay / we remain

Because the two clauses are doing different things.

Main clause

• intra domum manemus
• This is the main statement: we stay inside the house
• So Latin uses the indicative

Subordinate temporal clause

• donec imber desinat
• This gives the time limit: until the rain stops
• Since the stopping is still in the future / anticipated, Latin often uses the subjunctive

So the contrast is normal:

• main statement → indicative
• future-looking until-clause → often subjunctive

Because Latin verbs already include the subject in their endings.

• manemus already means we stay
• the -mus ending tells you the subject is we

So nos is not necessary unless you want emphasis:

• Nos intra domum manemus = We stay inside the house

That would sound more emphatic, as if contrasting we with someone else.

Latin word order is more flexible than English word order because the endings show grammatical relationships.

So these would all be understandable Latin:

• Donec imber desinat, intra domum manemus.
• Intra domum manemus, donec imber desinat.
• Donec desinat imber, intra domum manemus.

The original order is natural and clear:

1. the time condition first
2. then the main action

That order is common because it sets the scene before giving the main statement.

No. Donec can be used with the indicative or the subjunctive, depending on meaning and style.

Very roughly:

• indicative: the speaker presents the action more directly as a fact
• subjunctive: the action is viewed as expected, intended, or still pending

In this sentence, desinat fits well because the rain stopping is something that has not happened yet.

So it is better to learn: donec does not automatically force one mood; the context matters.

Yes, imber is a normal Latin word for rain, often suggesting rainfall, a shower, or a storm.
Pluvia also exists and can mean rain, but imber is very common in classical Latin.

So:

• imber = rain, rainstorm, shower
• pluvia = rain

A native English-speaking learner often expects just one basic word, but Latin sometimes chooses among several near-synonyms depending on style and nuance.

Latin often uses the present tense in clauses like this where English may also use a present:

• until the rain stops
• not usually until the rain will stop

So in both languages, the present can refer to a future event after words like until.

In this sentence:

• desinat is present subjunctive, but its meaning is future-oriented
• manemus is present indicative, expressing what we are doing now and continue to do until that future point

So the present tense here is completely normal.