Cena simplex sed bona omnibus grata est.

The subject is cena, meaning dinner or meal.

It is in the nominative singular, which is the case normally used for the subject of a sentence. Everything else in the sentence is describing cena or relating to it.

Because simplex is a third-declension adjective, not a first/second-declension adjective like bonus, bona, bonum.

For many third-declension adjectives, the nominative singular masculine and feminine are the same form. So:

• simplex = masculine nominative singular
• simplex = feminine nominative singular
• simplex = neuter nominative singular

So simplex is correctly agreeing with feminine cena, even though it does not end in -a.

Because bona describes cena, and adjectives in Latin must agree with the nouns they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Since cena is feminine singular nominative, bona must also be feminine singular nominative.

Yes. Both adjectives modify cena:

• cena simplex = a simple dinner
• cena bona = a good dinner

Together, simplex sed bona means simple but good.

Sed means but.

It connects the two adjectives simplex and bona:

• simplex sed bona = simple but good

So it shows a contrast: the dinner is plain or simple, yet still good.

Because grata is a predicate adjective with est.

In other words, the sentence is saying that the dinner is pleasing. In Latin, predicate adjectives also agree with the noun they describe. Since cena is feminine singular nominative, grata must be feminine singular nominative as well.

So:

• cena ... grata est = the dinner is pleasing

Omnibus is dative plural here, meaning to all or to everyone.

The adjective gratus, grata, gratum often takes the dative of the person to whom something is pleasing.

So:

• grata omnibus est = is pleasing to all

This is a very common Latin pattern. English often says everyone likes the dinner, but Latin expresses it as the dinner is pleasing to everyone.

The form omnibus can be either dative plural or ablative plural, but here it is best understood as dative plural.

That is because gratus regularly takes a dative with the meaning pleasing to someone. So the grammar of the sentence strongly points to:

• omnibus = to all / to everyone

not an ablative meaning.

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

Putting est at the end is completely normal Latin style. In fact, verbs often come near the end of the sentence.

So while English prefers:

• The dinner is pleasing to all

Latin can naturally say:

• Cena ... omnibus grata est

without changing the meaning.

Yes. Literally, grata est means is pleasing or is welcome.

So the sentence is literally:

• The dinner, simple but good, is pleasing to all.

But in more natural English, you might say:

• Everyone likes a simple but good dinner.

Both capture the sense, but is pleasing to all is closer to the Latin structure.

Latin does not have articles like English a, an, and the.

So cena can mean:

• a dinner
• the dinner
• sometimes just dinner

Which one sounds best depends on the context and the translation style.

It is still an adjective, but with est it forms a predicate:

• grata est = is pleasing

So est is the verb is, and grata tells us what the subject is like. This is similar to English sentences such as:

• The dinner is good
• The dinner is welcome
• The dinner is pleasing

Latin often uses adjectives this way after forms of esse.