Puer dicit se in horto quiescere malle quam domi cubare, sed mater eum intra domum manere iubet.

Because se is a reflexive pronoun, and it refers back to the subject of dicit, which is puer.

So:

• Puer dicit se ... malle = The boy says that he prefers ...
• se means himself, but in English we usually just translate it as he in this kind of sentence.

If Latin had eum instead, it would normally mean some other male person, not the boy himself.

Because after a verb like dicit (he says), Latin very often uses an indirect statement construction.

That construction is:

• accusative subject
  • infinitive

Here:

• se = the accusative subject
• malle = the main infinitive
• quiescere and cubare depend on malle

So the structure is basically:

• Puer dicit se ... malle = The boy says that he prefers ...

English uses that he prefers, but Latin uses se ... malle.

Malle is the present infinitive of malo, which means to prefer.

It is an irregular verb. You can think of it as related to magis volo = I want more / I prefer.

In this sentence:

• se in horto quiescere malle quam domi cubare = that he prefers to rest in the garden rather than lie down/sleep at home

Even though malle is an infinitive, English usually translates it with a normal finite verb after dicit:

• he says that he prefers ...

Quam means than, and here it compares two infinitive phrases after malle:

• in horto quiescere
• domi cubare

So the sense is:

• to prefer resting in the garden rather than lying down/sleeping at home

With malo / malle, this is a very common pattern:

• A malle quam B = to prefer A rather than B

Because Latin expresses place where in different ways depending on the word.

• in horto = in the garden
  • in
    • ablative is a normal way to say location.
  • horto is ablative singular.

But domi is a special form:

• domi = at home

This is called the locative form. A few words in Latin, especially words for places like domus, can use a special form instead of a preposition.

So:

• in horto = in the garden
• domi = at home

Because domi and intra domum do not mean exactly the same thing.

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

So domi is more general, while intra domum emphasizes being physically within the building.

Also, intra is a preposition that takes the accusative, so:

• intra domum = inside the house

That is why domum is accusative here.

Because reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of their own clause.

In the second part, the subject is mater:

• sed mater eum intra domum manere iubet

So:

• eum = him = the boy
• se would refer back to mater and mean herself

That means:

• mater eum ... iubet = the mother orders him ...
• mater se ... iubet would mean the mother orders herself ...

So eum is necessary if the mother is ordering the boy, not herself.

Like dicit, iubet often takes an accusative + infinitive construction.

Here:

• eum = accusative subject
• manere = infinitive

So:

• mater eum intra domum manere iubet = the mother orders him to stay inside the house

This is a very common Latin pattern:

• aliquem facere iubere = to order someone to do something

They are similar in that they all suggest not moving much, but they are not the same.

• quiescere = to rest, to be quiet, to relax
• cubare = to lie down, sometimes to be in bed or to sleep
• manere = to remain, to stay

So the contrast is meaningful:

• the boy wants to rest in the garden
• the mother orders him to stay inside the house

And cubare gives a slightly different idea from quiescere: not just resting, but lying down or staying in bed.

The main framework is:

• Puer dicit ...
• sed mater ... iubet

Everything in between belongs to one of those two verbs.

You can break it up like this:

• Puer dicit
  • se in horto quiescere malle quam domi cubare
• sed mater iubet
  • eum intra domum manere

So the sentence has two main clauses joined by sed:

• The boy says ...
• but the mother orders ...

It is quite normal for Latin.

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order, because the endings show the grammatical relationships. Still, some patterns are very common:

• the main verb often comes late
• infinitives often come near the end of their phrase
• important contrasts can be placed side by side

Here the order helps show the contrast clearly:

• in horto quiescere
• domi cubare
• intra domum manere

And the overall contrast is also clear:

• Puer ...
• sed mater ...

So even if the order feels unusual to an English speaker, it is good, natural Latin.

Because Latin often uses pronouns once the reference is already clear.

First we get:

• Puer = the boy

Then later:

• eum = him

Since the boy has already been introduced, eum is enough. Latin does not need to repeat puer unless the writer wants extra emphasis or clarity.

So this is very natural:

• introduce the person once
• then refer back with a pronoun