Haec via nobis commodior est quam illa, quia brevior est.

The sentence breaks down like this:

• Haec via = this road
• nobis = for us / to us
• commodior est = is more convenient
• quam illa = than that one
• quia brevior est = because it is shorter

So the core structure is:

• subject: haec via
• predicate: nobis commodior est
• comparison: quam illa
• reason clause: quia brevior est

Latin often puts ideas in a different order from English, but the grammar endings show what goes with what.

Because via is a feminine noun.

The demonstrative hic, haec, hoc means this, but its form changes to match the gender, number, and case of the noun it describes.

Since via is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

the correct form is haec.

So:

• hic = masculine nominative singular
• haec = feminine nominative singular
• hoc = neuter nominative singular

Because via is feminine, Latin uses haec via = this road.

For the same reason: it refers to via, which is feminine.

Ille, illa, illud means that.
Here illa stands for that road.

Latin often leaves out a noun when it is obvious from context. So:

• quam illa literally means than that one
• more fully, it means than that road = quam illa via

The noun via is understood and does not need to be repeated.

Nobis is the dative plural of nos (we/us).

Here it means for us or to us.

With some adjectives, especially comparatives, Latin can use the dative to show the person affected. So:

• nobis commodior = more convenient for us

This is a very natural Latin construction.

You could think of it as:

• This road is more convenient to us which in normal English becomes
• This road is more convenient for us

Because the sentence is making a comparison between two roads.

Commodus means something like:

• convenient
• suitable
• advantageous

Its comparative is commodior = more convenient.

Since the sentence compares this road with that one, Latin uses the comparative adjective:

• commodior ... quam illa = more convenient than that one

In third-declension comparative adjectives, the nominative singular masculine and feminine have the same form.

So:

• masculine nominative singular: commodior
• feminine nominative singular: commodior
• neuter nominative singular: commodius

Because via is feminine nominative singular, commodior is correct.

The same thing happens with brevior later in the sentence.

After quam with a comparison, the compared word is usually in the same case as the word it is being compared with.

Here:

• haec via is nominative
• so illa is also nominative

In full, the comparison is:

• Haec via ... est quam illa via
• This road is ... than that road

Because the second via is understood, only illa is written.

So illa is nominative feminine singular.

Yes.
Quam illa via would also make sense.

But Latin often avoids repeating a noun when the meaning is already clear. Since via has just appeared, illa alone is enough to mean that road or that one.

This is very common in Latin and often sounds more natural than repeating the noun every time.

Brevior is another comparative adjective, meaning shorter.

Latin does not have to repeat quam illa again, because the comparison is easy to understand from context. The meaning is:

• because it is shorter
• that is, shorter than the other road

So the full idea is:

• This road is more convenient for us than that one, because it is shorter.

Latin often leaves part of a comparison unstated when it is obvious.

Yes.

The subject of brevior est is still haec via. So brevior agrees with via:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

But just like commodior, the comparative form for masculine and feminine nominative singular is the same:

• brevior

So although it looks the same as the masculine form, here it is also feminine because it describes via.

Latin can sometimes omit forms of to be, especially when the meaning is obvious, but it does not have to.

Here the sentence has:

• commodior est
• brevior est

Repeating est makes both statements clear and balanced:

• This road is more convenient ... because it is shorter.

Latin style often repeats est in a sentence like this, especially when each adjective forms its own complete idea.

Quia means because.

It introduces a clause giving the reason:

• quia brevior est = because it is shorter

So the second part explains why this road is more convenient for us.

It may feel unusual to an English speaker, but it is normal Latin.

Latin word order is more flexible because endings show grammatical relationships. The sentence places the words in a natural Latin pattern:

• Haec via — the topic, this road
• nobis commodior est — what is being said about it
• quam illa — the comparison
• quia brevior est — the reason

English relies more on position. Latin relies more on endings, so the order can be arranged for emphasis and flow.

Yes. Depending on context, commodior can mean:

• more convenient
• more suitable
• more advantageous

And nobis can be translated as:

• for us
• to us

So possible English renderings include:

• This road is more convenient for us than that one
• This road is more suitable for us than that one

If the meaning has already been given to the learner, the main point is that nobis shows who finds the road more convenient.

Latin often uses contrasting demonstratives to show a clear distinction:

• haec = this
• illa = that

So the sentence contrasts two roads:

• this road
• that road

This is a very common pattern in Latin, just as in English. It helps make the comparison sharper and clearer.