Faber tegulam fractam mutat, ne pluvia intus cadat.

Faber means craftsman, workman, or in this context something like builder or repairman.

It is a masculine noun of the second declension, even though its ending -er may look a little unusual at first. Its nominative singular is faber, and here it is the subject of mutat.

So:

• faber = the workman / builder
• grammatical role: subject

Tegulam is the direct object of mutat.

The verb mutare means to change, replace, or exchange, and the thing being changed or replaced goes into the accusative case. Here, the craftsman is replacing the tile.

So:

• mutat = he replaces
• tegulam = the tile being replaced

Its dictionary form is tegula, and tegulam is the accusative singular.

Fractam agrees with tegulam.

It is a perfect passive participle from frangere (to break) and means broken. Since it describes tegulam, it must match it in:

• gender: feminine
• number: singular
• case: accusative

Because tegulam is feminine accusative singular, the participle must also be feminine accusative singular:

• tegula = nominative singular
• tegulam = accusative singular
• fracta = nominative singular feminine
• fractam = accusative singular feminine

So tegulam fractam means the broken tile.

Yes. Although fractam comes from a verb, here it functions just like an adjective modifying tegulam.

So in this sentence, it works exactly as an English adjective would in the broken tile.

This is very common in Latin: participles often behave like adjectives.

Mutat is the third person singular present active indicative of mutare.

In this context, it most naturally means replaces or changes.

So:

• mutat = he/she changes or replaces
• with faber as subject, it means the craftsman replaces

Even though mutare can mean several things depending on context, here replaces is the most natural translation.

Ne introduces a negative purpose clause.

A purpose clause tells you why something is done. In English, we often translate it as:

• so that ... not
• lest
• to prevent ... from

So ne pluvia intus cadat means something like:

• so that rain may not fall inside
• lest rain fall inside
• to keep rain from falling inside

This explains the purpose of replacing the broken tile.

Because it is in a purpose clause introduced by ne.

In Latin, purpose clauses regularly take the subjunctive mood:

• ut
  • subjunctive = positive purpose
• ne
  • subjunctive = negative purpose

So:

• cadat is present subjunctive of cadere (to fall)
• it is subjunctive because the clause expresses purpose, not a simple statement of fact

The sense is not rain is falling inside, but he replaces the tile in order that rain not fall inside.

Cadit would be indicative, meaning a straightforward statement: it falls or rain falls.

But after ne in a purpose clause, Latin requires the subjunctive, so we get cadat.

Compare:

• pluvia intus cadit = rain falls inside (plain statement)
• ne pluvia intus cadat = so that rain may not fall inside (purpose)

So the mood changes because the clause has a different function.

Pluvia is the subject of cadat.

So in ne pluvia intus cadat:

• pluvia = rain
• cadat = may fall
• intus = inside

In other words, rain is the thing that would fall inside if the tile were not replaced.

Because Latin expresses the idea differently.

English might use a phrase like to keep the rain from coming in, but Latin here uses a full clause: so that rain may not fall inside. Since rain is the subject of cadat, it must be in the nominative.

So Latin is not saying literally to stop rain as a direct object. It is saying to prevent this event from happening: rain falling inside.

Intus means inside or within.

It is an adverb, not a noun or adjective. It tells you where the rain might fall.

So:

• cadat = may fall
• intus = inside

Together: may fall inside.

Yes. Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because the endings show the grammatical roles.

This sentence is arranged quite naturally:

• Faber = subject first
• tegulam fractam = object with its modifier together
• mutat = main verb
• ne pluvia intus cadat = purpose clause after it

But other orders would still be possible, for example:

• Tegulam fractam faber mutat
• Faber mutat tegulam fractam
• Ne pluvia intus cadat, faber tegulam fractam mutat

The chosen order is clear and fairly straightforward.

Yes. The present tense makes the sentence feel like a general statement or a scene happening now: The craftsman replaces the broken tile so that rain does not fall inside.

The main verb mutat is present, and the purpose clause uses the present subjunctive cadat, which fits with the present-time main verb.

This is standard sequence:

• present main verb
• present subjunctive in the purpose clause

Not by itself in a sentence like this.

Here ne is not just a standalone not. It is the marker that introduces a negative purpose clause. So it is better understood as:

• so that ... not
• lest

If you translated it as just not, you would miss the structure of the clause.

So ne pluvia intus cadat does not mean simply rain not fall inside; it means so that rain may not fall inside.

It has two main parts:

1. Main clause: Faber tegulam fractam mutat

   • faber = subject
   • tegulam fractam = direct object + modifier
   • mutat = main verb

2. Negative purpose clause: ne pluvia intus cadat

   • introduced by ne
   • pluvia = subject
   • intus = adverb
   • cadat = subjunctive verb

So the logic is:

The craftsman replaces the broken tile
in order that rain may not fall inside.