Servae mensas parant, ut epulae simplices sed bonae sint.

Here servae is nominative plural feminine, so it means the slave women / maidservants as the subject of the sentence.

A learner might notice that servae could also be:

• genitive singular: of the slave woman
• dative singular: to/for the slave woman

But the verb parant is plural (they prepare), so servae must be the plural subject.

Because mensas is the direct object of parant.

• parant = they prepare
• What do they prepare? mensas

So Latin uses the accusative case:

• mensa = table
• mensas = tables (accusative plural)

Parant is:

• 3rd person plural
• present tense
• active voice
• indicative mood

from parare = to prepare

So it means they prepare.

Here ut introduces a purpose clause.

It means:

• so that
• in order that

So the sentence is saying that the tables are prepared for a purpose: so that the meal may be simple but good.

Because after ut in a purpose clause, Latin normally uses the subjunctive, not the indicative.

• sunt = they are (indicative)
• sint = they may be / be (subjunctive)

So ut epulae simplices sed bonae sint means so that the meals may be simple but good.

This is because of sequence of tenses.

The main verb is parant, which is a present tense verb, so Latin normally uses the present subjunctive in the purpose clause when the action is happening at the same time or is still future from that point of view.

So:

• parant = present main verb
• sint = present subjunctive in the purpose clause

This is the normal pattern.

Epulae is a noun that is very often used in the plural in Latin.

It can mean things like:

• feast
• meal
• courses
• dishes

So even if English might use a singular idea like the meal, Latin may use the plural epulae.

That is why the verb and adjectives connected with it are also plural.

Because they go with epulae after the verb sint, a form of esse (to be).

With to be, Latin uses predicate adjectives in the nominative, not the accusative.

So:

• epulae = nominative plural
• simplices = nominative plural
• bonae = nominative plural

They describe what the meals are, not what is being directly acted on.

The correct form here is bonae.

Why?

Because epulae is:

• feminine
• plural
• nominative

So the adjective bonus, bona, bonum has to agree with it:

• feminine
• plural
• nominative

That gives bonae.

It is not bonas, because bonas would be accusative plural, and here the adjective is not a direct object; it is a predicate adjective with sint.

Because simplex, simplicis is a third-declension adjective.

To agree with epulae, it must be:

• feminine
• plural
• nominative

The nominative plural masculine/feminine form is simplices.

So:

• epulae simplices = simple meals

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order.

This sentence has a very natural arrangement:

• Servae = subject first
• mensas = object
• parant = verb
• then the ut clause giving the purpose

So the structure is basically:

The maidservants prepare the tables, so that the meals may be simple but good.

Latin could rearrange some of these words for emphasis, but this version is straightforward and clear.