Mater dicit se hirundines libenter spectare, quia ver et diem serenum saepe nuntiant.

Because se is the reflexive pronoun. It refers back to the subject of the main verb, which is mater.

So:

• Mater dicit se ... spectare = Mother says that she herself watches ...

If Latin used eam, that would normally mean her as someone else, not the same person as mater.

This is a very common pattern after verbs like dicit, putat, scit, and audit.

After verbs of saying, thinking, knowing, and perceiving, Latin often uses an indirect statement construction:

• accusative subject + infinitive

So in this sentence:

• se = the subject of the infinitive
• spectare = the infinitive verb

That is why Latin has:

• Mater dicit se hirundines libenter spectare

rather than a clause with a separate word for that and a finite verb.

Latin usually does not use a separate word for that in this kind of sentence.

English says:

• Mother says that she watches ...

Latin instead says:

• Mater dicit se ... spectare

The idea of that is built into the accusative-and-infinitive construction.

In an indirect statement, the subject of the infinitive goes into the accusative case.

Here, se is accusative, so it serves as the subject of spectare.

So the structure is:

• dicit = says
• se = herself, as subject of the infinitive
• spectare = to watch

This is one of the first big Latin patterns learners need to get used to, because English does not do it the same way.

Because hirundines is the direct object of spectare.

The person doing the watching is se. The thing being watched is hirundines.

So:

• se = subject of spectare
• hirundines = object of spectare

A learner may notice that hirundines can look like either nominative plural or accusative plural. Here it must be accusative plural, because the syntax already makes se the subject of spectare.

Libenter is an adverb. It means something like:

• gladly
• willingly
• with pleasure

It modifies spectare, telling us how she watches the swallows.

So:

• hirundines libenter spectare = to watch swallows gladly / with pleasure

Latin word order is more flexible than English word order.

Libenter is placed before spectare, but it still clearly modifies spectare. Latin often places adverbs near the word they modify, but the order can vary for style, rhythm, or emphasis.

So both the meaning and the grammar are clear even though the order may feel less fixed than in English.

The subject is understood to be hirundines.

Latin often leaves out subject pronouns such as they, because the verb ending already tells you the person and number:

• nuntiant = they announce

So the sentence means that the swallows often announce spring and a clear day.

Because the two clauses are built differently.

In the first part:

• Mater dicit se ... spectare

you have an indirect statement, so Latin uses an infinitive.

In the second part:

• quia ver et diem serenum saepe nuntiant

you have a because-clause, introduced by quia, and that clause takes a normal finite verb, here nuntiant.

So the difference comes from the type of clause, not from the meaning of the verbs themselves.

Because they are both direct objects of nuntiant.

The swallows announce:

• ver = spring
• diem serenum = a clear day

So Latin is saying that they often announce both things.

A useful point here is that ver is a neuter noun whose accusative singular looks the same as its nominative singular.

Because this phrase is a direct object, so the noun must be in the accusative:

• nominative: dies serenus = a clear day
• accusative: diem serenum = a clear day, as object

The adjective serenus must agree with diem in:

• gender
• number
• case

So it becomes serenum.

Ver is a neuter third-declension noun, and its accusative singular is the same as its nominative singular.

So:

• nominative: ver
• accusative: ver

That is normal for many neuter nouns in Latin.

Because Latin verb endings usually make the subject pronoun unnecessary.

The ending -ant tells you the verb is third person plural:

• nuntiant = they announce

So Latin can simply use the verb without writing ei or another pronoun.

Quia introduces a clause giving a reason:

• because

So the sentence says that Mother likes watching swallows because they often announce spring and a clear day.

This is a straightforward causal clause with a verb in the indicative: nuntiant.

Yes. Se is a reflexive pronoun that does not show gender by itself.

Its exact meaning depends on whom it refers back to.

So se can mean:

• himself
• herself
• itself
• themselves

In this sentence, it refers back to mater, so the natural English meaning is herself / she.