Remi umidi in navi iacent, sed nauta dicit eos adhuc utiles esse.

to be

Breakdown of Remi umidi in navi iacent, sed nauta dicit eos adhuc utiles esse.

• in: in
• sed: but
• utilis: useful

Questions & Answers about Remi umidi in navi iacent, sed nauta dicit eos adhuc utiles esse.

Why is remi and not remos used at the start of the sentence?

Because remi is nominative plural, the case used for the subject of the verb.

• remus = oar
• remi = oars as the subject
• remos would be accusative plural, which would usually mean the oars are the direct object of some verb.

Here the oars are the things doing the action of iacent (are lying / lie), so Latin uses remi.

Why is umidi in that form?

Umidi is an adjective meaning wet or damp, and it agrees with remi.

In Latin, adjectives agree with the nouns they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Since remi is masculine nominative plural, the adjective must also be masculine nominative plural: umidi.

So:

• remi umidi = wet oars

Why is it in navi?

Because in with the meaning in/on a place where something is located takes the ablative.