Magistra mores discipulae bonos laudat.

the female student

Breakdown of Magistra mores discipulae bonos laudat.

• bonus: good
• magistra: the teacher
• laudare: to praise

Questions & Answers about Magistra mores discipulae bonos laudat.

Why does magistra mean the subject here?

Because magistra is in the nominative singular, which is the case normally used for the subject of a Latin sentence.

Also, the verb laudat means he/she praises, so we expect a singular subject. Magistra fits that perfectly: the female teacher.

What case is discipulae, and how do I know?

Here discipulae is best understood as genitive singular: of the female student.

A beginner may notice that discipulae could also be:

• nominative plural = female students
• dative singular = to/for the female student
• genitive singular = of the female student

So why genitive here?

Because in this sentence discipulae shows possession or association with mores: the morals / character / behavior of the student. That makes much better sense than reading it as a plural subject or an indirect object.

Why is bonos masculine, even though discipula is feminine?