Taurus saevus prope viam stat, itaque pueri ad matrem currunt.

Latin word order is much more flexible than English word order because the endings tell you what each word is doing.

• taurus = the bull as the subject
• saevus = savage/fierce, describing taurus
• prope viam = near the road
• stat = stands / is standing

So Latin does not need to rely on a fixed subject-verb-object pattern the way English does. This sentence is perfectly normal Latin.

Also, Latin often puts the verb at or near the end of the clause, so stat at the end feels very natural.

Saevus agrees with taurus.

Since taurus is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

the adjective describing it must also be:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

So we get saevus.

This is called adjective agreement: adjectives match the nouns they describe in gender, number, and case.

Yes. Both are possible.

Latin adjectives can come before or after the noun. So both of these can work:

• saevus taurus
• taurus saevus

Sometimes the position creates a slight difference in emphasis or style, but at an early stage it is best to understand that both mean the savage bull.

Because prope takes the accusative.

So:

• via = road as a dictionary form
• viam = road in the accusative singular

After prope meaning near, Latin normally uses the accusative:

• prope viam = near the road

This is just something you learn with the preposition: prope + accusative.

Because ad also takes the accusative.

• mater = mother as the basic nominative form
• matrem = mother in the accusative singular

Since ad means to / toward, it shows motion toward something:

• ad matrem = to the mother / toward the mother

So the ending changes because the noun is the object of the preposition ad.

Here pueri is nominative plural and means the boys.

It is the subject of currunt:

• pueri currunt = the boys run / are running

Be careful: pueri can also be genitive singular in some contexts, meaning of the boy, but here that would not make sense. In this sentence it is clearly nominative plural.

We know from both the case and the verb ending.

• taurus is nominative singular, which is the normal case for a subject
• stat is third person singular, meaning he/she/it stands

So taurus matches stat:

• taurus ... stat = the bull ... stands

Latin often makes these relationships clear through endings rather than word order.

Classical Latin has no articles.

English says:

• the bull
• a bull
• the road
• the mother

But Latin simply says:

• taurus
• viam
• matrem

The context tells you whether English should use the, a, or sometimes no article at all.

So taurus could mean a bull or the bull, depending on the situation. In a sentence like this, English usually translates it as the bull.

Stat means stands or is standing.

It is more specific than est, which just means is.

So:

• taurus stat = the bull stands / is standing
• taurus est would only mean the bull is

Using stat gives a clearer picture: the bull is not just existing; it is standing there, probably threateningly.

It can mean either.

Latin present tense often covers both:

• simple present: run
• present progressive: are running

So pueri ad matrem currunt can mean:

• the boys run to their mother
• the boys are running to their mother

Which one sounds best depends on the English context.

Itaque means and so, therefore, or so.

It shows that the second clause follows logically from the first:

• Taurus saevus prope viam stat = A fierce bull is standing near the road
• itaque pueri ad matrem currunt = and so the boys run to their mother

So itaque introduces the result or consequence of the first idea.

Because Latin usually does not need them.

The verb endings already tell you the subject:

• stat = he/she/it stands
• currunt = they run

Since the nouns taurus and pueri are already present, adding pronouns would be unnecessary.

This is very normal in Latin: subject pronouns are often omitted unless there is special emphasis.

Because currere ad expresses actual movement toward a place or person.

• ad + accusative is the usual way to show motion toward someone or something
• ad matrem currunt = they run to/toward their mother

A dative is not normally used here for this kind of physical motion. Latin prefers the prepositional phrase.

Currunt comes from currere, meaning to run.

Its ending tells you:

• third person
• plural
• present tense

So currunt means they run or they are running.

This matches pueri, which is plural:

• pueri currunt = the boys run

They mean different things.

• prope viam = near the road
• ad viam = to/toward the road or sometimes at the road, depending on context

In this sentence, the bull is not moving toward the road. It is already positioned near it, so prope is the right word.

It is one sentence made of two clauses joined by itaque.

Clause 1:

• Taurus saevus prope viam stat

Clause 2:

• itaque pueri ad matrem currunt

The comma helps separate the two ideas, but together they form one complete sentence.