Etiam si hora longa est, pergimus discere, sed ante cenam laborare desinimus.

Etiam si means even if. It introduces a clause that gives a condition, often one that does not stop the main action from happening.

So in this sentence:

Etiam si hora longa est, pergimus discere

the idea is Even if the hour is long, we continue learning.

Compared with plain si (if), etiam si is stronger and more like a concession: even if that is true, we still...

Hora is in the nominative because it is the subject of est.

• hora = the hour
• longa = long
• est = is

So literally, hora longa est means the hour is long.

Both hora and longa are nominative singular feminine, because longa describes hora and must agree with it in gender, number, and case.

Because hora is a feminine noun.

In Latin, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe:

• hora = feminine singular nominative
• longa = feminine singular nominative

So longa is not feminine because of meaning; it is feminine because it matches the grammatical gender of hora.

Because pergo often takes an infinitive to mean continue to do something.

So:

• pergimus = we continue
• discere = to learn

Together, pergimus discere means we continue to learn or we keep learning.

This is a very common Latin pattern:

• pergit laborare = he continues to work
• pergunt ambulare = they continue to walk

Discere is the present active infinitive of disco, meaning to learn.

You can think of it as the basic to learn form.

In this sentence, it depends on pergimus:

• pergimus discere = we continue to learn

Because desino, like pergo, also commonly takes an infinitive.

• desinimus = we stop / cease
• laborare = to work

So laborare desinimus or desinimus laborare means we stop working.

Latin often uses this pattern with verbs of beginning, continuing, and stopping:

• incipit cantare = he begins to sing
• pergit legere = he continues to read
• desinit currere = he stops running

Latin word order is much freer than English word order.

Both of these are possible in Latin:

• desinimus laborare
• laborare desinimus

The sentence you have puts laborare before desinimus. That is perfectly normal Latin. The infinitive is still understood with desinimus.

Latin often moves words around for rhythm, emphasis, or style rather than because the grammar changes.

Because ante is a preposition that takes the accusative case when it means before in time or space.

So:

• cena = dinner, meal
• cenam = accusative singular

Therefore:

• ante cenam = before dinner

This is something you simply learn with the preposition:

• ante + accusative

Cena usually means dinner or the main meal.

In many beginner sentences, it is easiest to translate it as dinner:

• ante cenam = before dinner

Depending on context, supper or the meal could also make sense, but dinner is the most natural basic translation.

They are both infinitives, but they mean different actions:

• discere = to learn
• laborare = to work

So the sentence contrasts two activities:

• we continue learning
• but before dinner we stop working

A learner might notice that English could make learning and working look parallel. Latin does that neatly with two infinitives after two different verbs:

• pergimus discere
• laborare desinimus

Sed means but.

It introduces a contrast between the two main ideas:

• we continue learning
• but before dinner we stop working

So the sentence first says that the long hour does not stop the learning, and then adds a contrasting point about stopping work before dinner.

There are three main pieces:

1. Etiam si hora longa est
   a subordinate clause: even if the hour is long

2. pergimus discere
   the first main clause: we continue to learn

3. sed ante cenam laborare desinimus
   the second main clause: but before dinner we stop working

So the overall structure is:

Even if ... , we continue ..., but before dinner we stop ...

Either can work, depending on context.

• pergimus discere could be we continue to learn or we keep learning
• desinimus laborare could be we stop working or we are stopping work

In beginner Latin, the present tense often covers both simple and ongoing actions. English chooses between learn / are learning or stop / are stopping based on what sounds most natural in context.

Here, we keep learning, but before dinner we stop working is a very natural English rendering.

Yes. Latin word order is flexible, but the sentence is still very readable:

• Etiam si comes first to set up the concessive idea.
• hora longa est completes that subordinate clause.
• pergimus discere gives the main action.
• sed marks a contrast.
• ante cenam places the time expression early in the second main clause.
• laborare desinimus ends with the finite verb, which is very common in Latin.

So although the words are not arranged exactly like English, the structure is normal Latin and shows how Latin often places important connectors and verbs carefully for flow and emphasis.