Magistra discipulis dicit verba nova antea discenda esse, ut in schola facilius respondeant.

Because dīcō can take an indirect object: someone says something to someone.

• magistra = the teacher (subject)
• discipulis = to the students (dative plural)
• dicit = says
• verba nova = new words

So magistra discipulis dicit means the teacher says to the students.

Latin often uses the dative where English uses to.

Verba nova is neuter plural accusative.

• verba is the plural of verbum
• nova agrees with verba in gender, number, and case

Here it is the subject accusative of an indirect statement after dicit. In English we might say:

• The teacher says that the new words...

In Latin, after a verb like dicit, the thing being stated often goes into an accusative + infinitive construction, so verba nova appears in the accusative.

Because nova must agree with verba, but the word order itself is flexible.

Latin allows several possibilities:

• verba nova
• nova verba

Both can mean new words.

Here verba nova is simply the chosen order. Latin word order often reflects emphasis or style more than strict grammatical necessity.

Antea is an adverb, meaning beforehand, earlier, or previously.

It modifies discenda esse, so the idea is:

• the new words must be learned beforehand

In other words, they should be learned before class, or before the later action of answering in school.

Discenda esse is a gerundive + esse construction, often called the passive periphrastic.

• discenda = to be learned, needing to be learned
• esse = to be

Together they express necessity or obligation:

• discenda esse = must be learned / are to be learned

This is different from discere, which just means to learn.

So:

• discere = to learn
• discenda esse = to have to be learned / must be learned

Because it agrees with verba, which is neuter plural.

The gerundive is an adjective, so it must match the noun it goes with:

• verba = neuter plural
• discenda = neuter plural

So verba nova ... discenda esse means that the new words must be learned.

Because after dicit, Latin usually uses an infinitive in indirect statement.

The full indirect statement here is:

• verba nova antea discenda esse

The infinitive is esse, and discenda goes with it to form the passive periphrastic.

So esse is necessary because Latin is not using a finite verb like sunt or debent here. Instead, it uses the infinitive construction required by indirect statement.

After dicit, Latin commonly uses indirect statement:

• accusative subject + infinitive

Here that pattern is:

• verba nova = accusative subject of the indirect statement
• discenda esse = infinitive phrase
• antea = adverb modifying that phrase

So literally the structure is something like:

• The teacher says the new words to have-to-be-learned beforehand

More natural English would be:

• The teacher tells the students that the new words must be learned beforehand

Ut introduces a purpose clause.

So:

• ut in schola facilius respondeant

means:

• so that they may answer more easily in school
• or simply so that they can answer more easily in class

The idea is that the words must be learned beforehand for a purpose. The purpose is expressed by the ut clause.

Because it is inside an ut purpose clause.

In Latin, a purpose clause uses:

• ut
  • subjunctive

So respondeant is present subjunctive of respondeo.

This is not because the action is doubtful. It is subjunctive because the clause expresses purpose:

• so that they may answer

Because the clause is not a plain statement of fact. It expresses purpose.

Compare:

• respondent = they answer
• respondebunt = they will answer
• respondeant = that they may answer / so that they can answer

Since the teacher wants the words learned in order that the students answer more easily, Latin uses the subjunctive respondeant.

Also, because the main verb is dicit (a primary tense), the purpose clause naturally uses the present subjunctive.

The understood subject is the students.

Latin does not need to repeat discipuli here, because the context already makes it clear:

• the teacher is speaking to the students
• the purpose is that they answer more easily

So respondeant means that they may answer, with they understood from discipulis and the overall sense.

Facilius is the comparative adverb of facile.

• facile = easily
• facilius = more easily

So:

• in schola facilius respondeant = they may answer more easily in school/class

Latin often uses the comparative adverb even where English might just say something smooth like more easily without explicitly comparing to a stated alternative.

Because in with the ablative means in or on in the sense of location.

• schola here is ablative singular
• in schola = in school, in class, at school

If there were motion into a place, Latin would usually use in with the accusative instead.

So here it is ablative because it tells us where the answering happens, not motion toward somewhere.

Yes — several very common ones:

1. Verb of saying + indirect statement

   • dicit ... discenda esse

2. Passive periphrastic / gerundive of obligation

   • discenda esse = must be learned

3. Dative indirect object

   • discipulis = to the students

4. Purpose clause with ut + subjunctive

   • ut ... respondeant

5. Comparative adverb

   • facilius = more easily

So this sentence is a good example of how Latin packs a lot of grammar into a relatively short statement.