Alter anser e stagno exit et ad litus venit.

Alter most often means the other (of two). So if two geese are already understood in the context, alter anser means the other goose.

In some beginner-level contexts, it can feel like another or a second. But its most precise core idea is one of two, as opposed to the first.

This is a very common question.

• alter = the other of two
• alius = another / a different one more generally

So if exactly two geese are in the picture, alter anser is the natural choice for the other goose. If you just meant some other goose without a two-way contrast, alius would be more general.

Latin has no articles like English the and a/an.

That means a noun like anser can mean:

• a goose
• the goose

Context tells you which is meant. In this sentence, the surrounding context or the given translation decides whether English should use a, the, or sometimes no article at all.

Because alter is describing anser. It is an adjective-like word here, so it modifies the noun: alter anser = the other goose.

Latin often places modifiers before the noun, though word order is more flexible than in English. Putting alter first also gives it a bit of emphasis.

Yes. Alter agrees with anser in case, number, and gender.

Here, anser is nominative singular, and alter matches it:

• alter = nominative singular
• anser = nominative singular

That shows that the other goose is the subject of the sentence.

Because e/ex means out of or from and it takes the ablative case.

So:

• stagnum = pond (dictionary form)
• stagno = from/out of the pond after e

The idea is motion out from within something: the goose comes out of the pond.

Both e and ex mean the same thing here: out of / from.

Usually:

• e is commonly used before a consonant
• ex is commonly used before a vowel or h

Since stagno begins with s, e stagno is the expected form.

Because e/ex takes the ablative.

stagnum is a second-declension neuter noun:

• nominative/accusative singular: stagnum
• ablative singular: stagno

So e stagno means out of the pond.

Because ad means to or toward, and it takes the accusative case.

So ad litus means to the shore or toward the shore.

This is a standard Latin pattern:

• ad
  • accusative = motion toward something

It actually is in the accusative already — it just happens to look the same as the nominative.

Litus is a third-declension neuter noun. For many neuter nouns in Latin, the nominative and accusative singular are identical.

So:

• nominative singular: litus
• accusative singular: litus

That is why ad litus is correct even though the form does not visibly change.

Both are third-person singular present active indicative forms.

• exit = he/she/it goes out
• venit = he/she/it comes

They match the singular subject anser.

So grammatically the sentence is describing what the goose is doing right now, or in a vivid present-time narration.

Because Latin verb endings already include the subject information.

The -t ending in exit and venit tells you the verb is third-person singular:

• he
• she
• it

Since the sentence already has the noun anser, Latin does not need to add a separate pronoun.

Yes, venit literally means comes. But Latin venire can work in contexts where English might prefer comes, goes, or arrives, depending on viewpoint.

Here the sense is that the goose makes its way to / reaches the shore. English may choose comes to the shore or goes to the shore, depending on how natural the translation is in context.

So the Latin is perfectly normal.

In a text without macrons, yes, the spelling can look ambiguous.

• venit = comes (present)
• vēnit = came (perfect)

Since many Latin texts do not print macrons, context has to decide. In this sentence, exit et venit is most naturally understood as present-time narration: goes out ... and comes/goes to.

Latin word order is much freer than English word order.

A very common textbook pattern does place the verb near the end, but Latin authors do not have to do that. Here the order is still perfectly normal:

Alter anser e stagno exit et ad litus venit.

The sentence moves in a clear sequence:

1. subject: alter anser
2. source: e stagno
3. first action: exit
4. second movement: ad litus venit

So the order helps tell the little story step by step.