Canis trans viam currere non debet, quamquam raeda praeter templum lente movetur.

Because canis is the subject of the main clause, so it must be in the nominative case.

• canis = dog as subject
• debet = ought / should
• so canis ... debet = the dog should ...

If Latin used canem, that would be accusative, which usually marks a direct object, not the subject.

After debet, Latin normally uses an infinitive.

So:

• debet currere = ought to run / should run
• literally, owes/ought ... to run

This is very similar to English after verbs like ought, must, can, and want, where another verb follows.

So the structure is:

• canis = subject
• trans viam currere = the action
• non debet = should not / ought not

Because trans is a preposition that takes the accusative case.

So:

• trans = across
• viam = accusative singular of via, meaning road or street

Together, trans viam means across the road.

This is a common thing to memorize in Latin: many prepositions always take a specific case, and trans takes the accusative.

For the same basic reason as trans viam: praeter also takes the accusative.

So:

• praeter = past, by
• templum = accusative singular of templum, temple

Thus praeter templum means past the temple.

A learner will often want to memorize prepositions together with the case they require:

• trans + accusative
• praeter + accusative

Quamquam means although.

It introduces a clause that gives a contrast or concession:

• Canis trans viam currere non debet = the dog should not run across the road
• quamquam raeda praeter templum lente movetur = although the cart is moving slowly past the temple

So the second clause does not cancel the first. It gives a fact that might seem to make the situation less dangerous, but the warning still stands.

Because lente is an adverb, not an adjective.

• lentus, lenta, lentum = slow
• lente = slowly

Here it modifies the verb movetur, telling us how the cart is moving.

So:

• raeda lente movetur = the cart moves slowly / is moving slowly

If Latin used lenta, that would be an adjective describing a feminine noun, such as raeda lenta = a slow cart.

This is a very common question.

Movetur is formally passive: is moved. But in Latin, passive forms can sometimes be used where English prefers an active intransitive idea such as moves or is moving.

So here raeda ... movetur can naturally be understood as:

• the cart is moving
• or more literally, the cart is being moved

The exact nuance depends on context. In a simple sentence like this, English usually translates it more naturally as is moving.

By contrast:

• movet would mean moves something or sets something in motion
• movetur focuses on the cart as the thing in motion

Because Latin has no articles.

English says:

• the dog
• a road
• the cart
• the temple

But Latin usually just says:

• canis
• via / viam
• raeda
• templum

Whether we translate with the, a, or sometimes no article at all depends on context.

So canis could mean:

• the dog
• a dog

and the translator chooses what sounds best in English.

Because the negation is attached to the idea of ought / should.

So:

• non debet currere = should not run / ought not to run

This is the most natural way to express the idea here.

Latin can sometimes place non differently for emphasis, but in a straightforward sentence like this, putting non with debet is exactly what you would expect.

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because the endings show the grammar.

This sentence has a perfectly normal order, but many rearrangements would still be grammatical.

For example, the current order:

• Canis trans viam currere non debet
• quamquam raeda praeter templum lente movetur

is easy and natural.

But Latin could move words around for emphasis, especially:

• putting an important word earlier
• placing the verb at the end
• keeping a prepositional phrase close to the word it belongs with

So in Latin, case endings matter more than position.

There are two finite verbs and one infinitive:

• debet = he/she/it ought, should
• movetur = he/she/it is moved / is moving
• currere = to run

More specifically:

• debet is 3rd person singular present indicative active
• movetur is 3rd person singular present indicative passive
• currere is a present active infinitive

Both finite verbs are singular because their subjects are singular:

• canis → debet
• raeda → movetur