Puella tunicam sordidam detrahit et tunicam puram induit antequam ad scholam eat.

Because puella is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case: puella = the girl.

Tunicam is the direct object of both detrahit and induit, so it is in the accusative case: tunicam = the tunic.

So the basic pattern is:

• puella = the one doing the action
• tunicam = the thing being taken off / put on

Latin uses case endings to show this, instead of relying mainly on word order as English does.

Because they are adjectives describing tunicam, and Latin adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here, tunicam is:

• feminine
• singular
• accusative

So the adjectives must match it:

• tunicam sordidam = a dirty tunic
• tunicam puram = a clean tunic

Even though the adjective and noun may have different dictionary forms, they must match in the sentence.

Latin often can leave out a noun if it is obvious, but repeating it is very natural and can make the sentence clearer.

So:

• tunicam sordidam detrahit et tunicam puram induit

clearly contrasts:

• the dirty tunic she takes off
• the clean tunic she puts on

If the second tunicam were omitted, the sentence might still be understandable in context, but repeating it makes the contrast neat and explicit.

Detrahit comes from detrahere, which means to pull down, draw off, or take off/remove.

In this sentence, it means she takes off the dirty tunic.

So tunicam sordidam detrahit means something like:

• she takes off the dirty tunic
• she removes the dirty tunic

It is a present-tense verb, third person singular: he/she/it takes off.

Induit comes from induere, which means to put on, clothe oneself with, or dress in.

Here it means she puts on the clean tunic.

So:

• tunicam puram induit = she puts on the clean tunic

This verb also takes the clothing worn as a direct object, which is why tunicam is accusative.

Because Latin does not need a reflexive word here in the way English sometimes does.

In English, we may say:

• she puts on a clean tunic
• she puts a clean tunic on
• she puts a clean tunic on herself

Latin can simply say:

• tunicam puram induit

and it is naturally understood that she is putting it on herself, unless the context says otherwise.

So Latin does not need to add se here.

Ad means to or toward, and it takes the accusative case. So:

• ad scholam = to school

This shows motion toward a place.

That is why schola becomes scholam after ad.

Compare the idea:

• ad + accusative = movement toward something

So in this sentence, the girl is going to school.

Because eat is the present subjunctive of ire (to go), while it would be the present indicative.

After antequam (before), Latin often uses the subjunctive when the action is still anticipated, intended, or viewed as not yet an accomplished fact from the standpoint of the main clause.

So:

• antequam ad scholam eat = before she goes to school

The sense is not just a plain factual statement, but an action still lying ahead relative to the dressing actions.

This is one of the most common questions learners ask.

With antequam (before) and priusquam (before), Latin can use either the indicative or the subjunctive, depending on how the action is viewed.

Here the subjunctive is used because the going to school is treated as a prospective or not-yet-realized action at the moment she changes clothes. In other words:

• she takes off the dirty tunic
• she puts on the clean tunic
• all this happens before she is about to go to school

So the subjunctive fits the idea of an action still ahead.

A learner can often remember this as:

• antequam + subjunctive often points to something still pending or looked forward to

Latin often uses the present tense for a simple statement of what someone does, especially in examples and narratives.

So:

• detrahit = she takes off
• induit = she puts on

This can correspond in English to several natural translations, depending on context:

• she takes off ... and puts on ...
• the girl takes off ... and puts on ...
• sometimes even she is taking off ... and putting on ...

The Latin present tense is flexible, and the exact English tense depends on context.

Yes. Latin word order is much freer than English word order because the case endings show how the words function.

This sentence could be rearranged in various ways without changing the basic meaning, for example to emphasize different parts.

The given order is quite natural:

• Puella first introduces the subject.
• tunicam sordidam comes before detrahit, grouping the object with its adjective.
• et tunicam puram induit neatly parallels the first half.
• antequam ad scholam eat comes at the end as the time clause.

So while the order can change, this version is clear and elegant.

The placement at the end is very normal in Latin.

The main action comes first:

• she takes off the dirty tunic
• she puts on the clean tunic

Then the sentence adds the time relation:

• before she goes to school

Latin often places subordinate clauses like this after the main statement, especially when they add background information such as time, cause, or condition.

So this order is not the only possible one, but it is very natural.

It has two main verbs joined by et, followed by a subordinate clause introduced by antequam.

You can divide it like this:

• Puella tunicam sordidam detrahit
• et tunicam puram induit
• antequam ad scholam eat

So the structure is:

1. main clause: the girl takes off the dirty tunic
2. main clause: and puts on the clean tunic
3. subordinate time clause: before she goes to school

Seeing the sentence in these parts often makes it much easier to understand.