Discipula rogat cur infinitivus saepe post verba “possum” et “volo” ponatur.

Because discipula is in the nominative singular, which is the normal case for the subject in Latin. It also matches the verb rogat, which is third-person singular: she asks.

So the basic frame is:

• discipula = the schoolgirl / female student
• rogat = asks

A learner can often spot the subject in Latin by looking for a nominative noun that agrees with the finite verb.

Infinitivus is not itself an infinitive form like amare or videre. It is a noun meaning the infinitive.

So this sentence is talking about grammar. It is not using an infinitive as the main action; it is referring to the grammatical category called the infinitive.

Grammatically:

• infinitivus = nominative singular masculine
• it is the subject of ponatur

So the core idea is: the infinitive is placed...

Because it follows the preposition post, and post takes the accusative.

So:

• post = after
• verba = words / verbs, accusative plural of verbum

In this sentence, post verba means after the verbs or after verbs.

Latin verbum literally means word, but it is also the standard grammatical term for verb. In grammatical discussion, verba often means verbs.

So post verba possum et volo means after the verbs possum and volo, not merely after the words in a vague sense.

This is a good example of a technical grammar word being used in a specialized way.

Because they are being mentioned as dictionary-style citation forms, not actually used as verbs inside the sentence.

In other words, the sentence is talking about the verbs possum and volo as items of grammar. Latin often names verbs by a familiar form, especially the first-person singular present.

So here:

• possum = the verb meaning I am able / I can
• volo = the verb meaning I want

They are not connected to the subject discipula. The girl is not saying I can or I want. She is asking about those verbs as grammatical examples.

Because cur introduces an indirect question after rogat.

Direct question:

• Cur infinitivus saepe post verba possum et volo ponitur?
• Why is the infinitive often placed after the verbs possum and volo?

Indirect question after rogat:

• Discipula rogat cur ... ponatur.
• The student asks why ... is placed.

In Latin, indirect questions normally use the subjunctive, so ponitur becomes ponatur.

Because the sentence is focusing on the infinitive as the thing being placed.

• ponitur / ponatur = is placed
• active would be something like someone places

English often prefers an active expression such as why people often put the infinitive after..., but Latin very naturally uses the passive here: why the infinitive is often placed after...

This is common in grammatical explanations, where the structure itself is more important than the person doing the action.

Because ponatur agrees with its subject, and the subject is infinitivus, which is singular.

The phrase post verba possum et volo is only a prepositional phrase telling you after what the infinitive is placed. It is not the subject.

So the structure is:

• subject: infinitivus = singular
• verb: ponatur = singular
• prepositional phrase: post verba possum et volo

That is why the verb is singular, not plural.

Ponatur is:

• present subjunctive
• passive
• third-person singular
• from pono, ponere, posui, positum

Its tense is present because the sentence is talking about a general rule or a habitual pattern, not about one single event in the past or future.

So ponatur here means something like:

• is placed
• may be placed in form, but in this context simply is placed within the indirect question

Latin word order is more flexible than English word order because the endings show grammatical relationships.

This order is natural because it presents the ideas in a clear sequence:

• cur = introduces the question
• infinitivus = the thing being discussed
• saepe = often
• post verba possum et volo = after the verbs possum and volo
• ponatur = the verb comes at the end, which is very common in Latin

So the order is not random, but it is also not as rigid as English. Latin often saves the main verb until late in the clause.