Denique mater domum redit, et pueri gaudent.

Denique is an adverb meaning finally, at last, or in the end. In this sentence it sets the scene for what happens next: after whatever came before, the mother finally comes back.

Latin often places adverbs like denique near the beginning for emphasis, but its position can be flexible.

Mater is the subject of redit, so it is in the nominative singular. Its basic dictionary form is also mater, meaning mother.

A native English speaker may expect word order to show the subject, but in Latin the ending and form help show the job of the word. Here mater is the one doing the returning.

Latin has no definite or indefinite article. That means it has no direct equivalent of the or a/an.

So mater can mean mother, the mother, or even a mother, depending on context. In a sentence like this, English usually needs the, but Latin does not.

This is a very common Latin idiom. Domum means homeward or to home, and it is an accusative of motion toward used without a preposition.

With many places, Latin would use a preposition such as ad, but with domus and with names of towns and small islands, Latin often leaves the preposition out.

So:

• domum = home
• ad villam = to the house / villa

This is something English speakers often have to get used to, because English normally needs a preposition less obviously here.

It comes from domus, which can mean house or home, but in this sentence domum is best understood as home in the sense of destination.

So mater domum redit means the mother returns home, not just that she returns a house.

Redit is third person singular, present indicative active of redeo, meaning to return or to go back.

It is singular because its subject, mater, is singular.

So redit can be translated as:

• returns
• is returning
• sometimes simply comes back

Latin present tense can cover both simple present and progressive present, depending on context.

Pueri is nominative plural, so it means the boys as the subject of gaudent.

A beginner might confuse pueri with other forms, but here it has to be nominative plural because the boys are the ones doing the rejoicing.

Compare:

• puer = the boy
• pueri = the boys
• pueros = the boys as a direct object

Gaudent is third person plural, present indicative active of gaudeo, meaning to rejoice, to be glad, or to be happy.

It is plural because its subject, pueri, is plural.

So pueri gaudent means:

• the boys rejoice
• the boys are glad
• the boys are happy

All of those can work depending on the style of translation.

Latin verb endings already tell you the person and number:

• redit = he/she/it returns
• gaudent = they rejoice

Because the endings already contain that information, Latin often leaves pronouns out unless they are needed for emphasis or contrast.

So instead of saying she returns, Latin can simply say mater redit, and instead of they rejoice, it can say pueri gaudent.

Latin word order is more flexible than English word order. This sentence is arranged in a very natural Latin way, but the grammar is shown mostly by the word forms, not by position alone.

A very literal English order would be:

Finally mother home returns, and boys rejoice.

That sounds odd in English, but it is normal in Latin.

The sentence puts redit and gaudent at the ends of their clauses, which is very common in Latin prose.

Et simply means and. It links the two related actions:

• the mother returns home
• the boys rejoice

Latin, like English, can either join ideas with and or separate them into different sentences. Using et here makes the connection between the two events very clear: the boys are glad because the mother has returned.

Yes. Even if the basic meaning stays the same, several English translations are possible because Latin forms often cover a range that English expresses in different ways.

For example:

• Finally the mother returns home, and the boys rejoice.
• At last the mother comes home, and the boys are glad.
• In the end the mother goes back home, and the boys are happy.

The exact English wording depends on style, but the Latin grammar remains the same.