Breakdown of Magistra in bibliotheca loquens a discipulis auditur.
in
in
discipulus
the student
magistra
the female teacher
audire
to hear
Questions & Answers about Magistra in bibliotheca loquens a discipulis auditur.
Why is auditur used instead of audit?
Because the verb is passive, not active.
- audit = he/she hears
- auditur = he/she is heard
In this sentence, magistra is the one being heard, so Latin uses the passive form auditur.
Grammatically, auditur is:
- 3rd person singular
- present tense
- passive indicative
So it means is heard.
Why is magistra in the nominative case?
Because magistra is the subject of the sentence.
Even though the teacher is not doing the action of hearing, she is still the grammatical subject because the verb is passive:
- active: discipuli magistram audiunt = the students hear the teacher
- passive: magistra a discipulis auditur = the teacher is heard by the students
In a passive sentence, the person or thing receiving the action becomes the subject, so magistra is nominative.
What is a discipulis, and why is discipulis in that case?
a discipulis means by the students.