Nonnullae feminae circa templum stant et amicas exspectant.

This is a very common beginner question.

Nonnullae literally comes from non + nullae, so it is built from the idea not none. But in normal Latin, nonnulli / nonnullae / nonnulla is an idiomatic way to say some, several, or a number of.

So:

• nonnullae feminae = some women
• not no women
• not usually an emphatic logical double negative in English style

It is one of those expressions you learn as a set phrase.

Because nonnullae is describing feminae, and in Latin adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe.

They agree in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here:

• feminae = feminine, plural, nominative
• nonnullae = feminine, plural, nominative

So the matching -ae endings show that they belong together:

• nonnullae feminae = some women

We know from both case and the verb ending.

1. Case

Here feminae is nominative plural, which is the normal case for the subject.

2. Verb ending

The verbs are:

• stant = they stand
• exspectant = they wait for / they expect

The ending -nt tells you the subject is third person plural: they.

So feminae fits perfectly as the subject: Some women stand... and wait for...

Because circa is a preposition that takes the accusative.

So:

• circa templum = around the temple

Even though English uses around without changing the noun’s form, Latin prepositions often require a specific case. Here, circa requires the accusative.

That is why we get:

• templum rather than a nominative form used as the subject

Here circa means something like:

• around
• near
• in the area around

So circa templum stant means the women are standing around the temple or near the temple area.

In other contexts, circa can also mean about in a more abstract sense, but here the meaning is clearly physical/location-based.

Because Latin often prefers a more concrete verb where English might use are.

• stant comes from stare = to stand
• So stant means they are standing

This gives a more vivid picture than simply saying they are.

Latin often distinguishes postures and positions more clearly:

• stare = stand
• sedere = sit
• iacere = lie

So the sentence suggests the women are actually standing there, not just existing there.

Because Latin verbs usually include the subject information in their endings.

For example:

• stant = they stand
• exspectant = they wait for

The ending -nt already tells us the subject is they. Because of that, Latin often leaves out subject pronouns unless it wants emphasis or contrast.

So Latin does not need a separate word for they here.

Because amicas is the direct object of exspectant.

The verb exspectare means:

• to wait for
• to expect

In Latin, this verb normally takes a direct object in the accusative.

So:

• amicas exspectant = they are waiting for friends

More exactly:

• amicas = female friends or girlfriends/friends who are women, depending on context

The -as ending shows first-declension accusative plural.

Specifically female friends.

Latin distinguishes grammatical gender much more clearly than English does here:

• amicus = male friend
• amica = female friend

So:

• amicas = female friends in the accusative plural

If the meaning shown to the learner says simply friends, that may be a natural English translation, but the Latin form itself is feminine.

Both verbs are in the present tense.

• stant = they stand / they are standing
• exspectant = they wait for / they are waiting for

Latin present tense can often be translated in more than one way in English:

• simple present: they stand, they wait
• progressive: they are standing, they are waiting

Which English version sounds best depends on context.

Et simply means and.

It joins the two verbs:

• stant
• exspectant

So the sentence says that the same subject, some women, is doing both actions:

• they stand around the temple
• and they wait for their female friends

Latin uses et very much like English and.

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

So this sentence could be rearranged in several ways without changing the basic meaning very much. For example, Latin could move words around for emphasis.

Still, the given order is natural and clear:

• Nonnullae feminae — the subject first
• circa templum — where they are
• stant — first action
• et amicas exspectant — second action

English relies heavily on word order, but Latin relies more on endings.

Both spellings can be found, but exspectare is the fuller, more traditional form.

It is built from:

• ex-
• spectare

So:

• exspectant = they wait for / they expect

In many texts, especially later ones, you may also see expectant. For a learner, it is useful to recognize that both spellings refer to the same verb.

Both are from the first declension.

Their dictionary forms would be:

• femina, feminae = woman
• amica, amicae = female friend

In this sentence:

• feminae = nominative plural
• amicas = accusative plural

This is a good example of how first-declension endings change by case:

• -ae can be nominative plural
• -as is accusative plural

So the endings help show which noun is the subject and which noun is the object.