Qui luxuriae cedit, parcimoniam saepe spernit.

Here qui means the one who, he who, or more generally whoever.

So the sentence is not asking a question. This is not who? in an interrogative sense. Instead, qui is a relative pronoun introducing a general statement about a certain kind of person:

• Qui luxuriae cedit = the person who gives way to luxury
• or more freely, whoever yields to luxury

Because Latin often uses the masculine singular in general statements, qui can refer to a person in general, not only to a specific man.

Because cedere commonly takes the dative.

The verb cedo, cedere can mean to yield, give way, submit, or succumb, and the thing or person one yields to is often put in the dative:

• luxuriae cedit = he yields to luxury

This is a very common thing to watch for in Latin: some verbs take objects in cases other than the accusative. English says yield to luxury, with a preposition; Latin often expresses that idea by using the dative without a preposition.

Cedit is:

• 3rd person singular
• present tense
• active voice
• from cedo, cedere

So it means he/she/it yields, gives way, or succumbs.

Here the subject is understood from qui, so:

• Qui luxuriae cedit = the one who yields to luxury

Because parcimoniam is the direct object of spernit.

The verb sperno, spernere means to despise, scorn, reject, or look down on, and it normally takes a direct object in the accusative:

• parcimoniam spernit = he despises frugality

So the case difference matters:

• luxuriae = dative after cedit
• parcimoniam = accusative object of spernit

Spernit is:

• 3rd person singular
• present tense
• active voice
• from sperno, spernere

It means he/she despises, scorns, or rejects.

Since the subject is still the same person introduced by qui, Latin does not need to repeat a noun or pronoun:

• Qui luxuriae cedit, parcimoniam saepe spernit.
• The one who yields to luxury often despises frugality.

Because Latin often leaves the subject understood when it is clear from context.

In this sentence, qui introduces the subject, and both verbs are 3rd person singular:

• cedit
• spernit

So Latin naturally understands the same subject for both verbs:

• the one who yields to luxury ... often despises frugality

English sometimes repeats the subject, but Latin often does not need to.

Saepe means often. It modifies spernit:

• parcimoniam saepe spernit = often despises frugality

In English, you would usually place often before the verb:

• often despises frugality

Latin word order is more flexible than English word order, so saepe can appear in different places without changing the core meaning very much.

It is most naturally a general statement.

Even though the forms are singular:

• qui
• cedit
• spernit

Latin often uses the singular to express a general truth, much like English whoever or the person who. So the sense is something like:

• Whoever yields to luxury often despises frugality.

This is a common way Latin states moral observations or proverbs.

Not literally, but in sense it can come close in some contexts.

The basic meaning is still who, the one who, or whoever. In smooth English, depending on context, you might paraphrase it as:

• If someone yields to luxury, he often despises frugality.

That is a paraphrase of the idea, not a word-for-word translation. Grammatically, qui is a relative pronoun, not a conjunction meaning if.

These are moral qualities or habits.

• luxuria = luxury, self-indulgence, excess, sometimes even dissoluteness
• parcimonia = frugality, thrift, economy, moderation in spending

So the sentence contrasts two ways of life:

• yielding to pleasure and excess
• valuing restraint and frugality

The point is that a person accustomed to indulgence often comes to look down on thrift.

Because Latin often places important or framing words early in the sentence.

Starting with qui immediately sets up the pattern the one who ... and prepares the reader for a general statement. It creates a balanced structure:

• Qui luxuriae cedit
• parcimoniam saepe spernit

This kind of word order is very natural in Latin, especially in moral or aphoristic statements.

Yes. It has a neat two-part structure:

1. Qui luxuriae cedit
   the person yields to luxury

2. parcimoniam saepe spernit
   that same person often despises frugality

This creates a cause-and-result feel, even though there is no explicit word meaning therefore or as a result. The structure itself suggests a moral connection: indulgence leads to contempt for restraint.