In cella frigida puls calida parata est.

The sentence breaks into three main parts:

• in cella frigida = in the cold room
• puls calida = the warm porridge
• parata est = has been prepared / was prepared

So puls calida is the thing being talked about, in cella frigida tells where, and parata est is the verb phrase.

Because in takes the ablative when it means in or on in the sense of location.

So:

• in cella frigida = in the cold room

If Latin meant motion into the room, it would normally use in with the accusative instead.

A useful contrast is:

• in cellā = in the room
• in cellam = into the room

Because the sentence is written without macrons.

With macrons, it would be:

• in cellā frigidā

That final long -ā marks the ablative singular of a first-declension noun or adjective. Without macrons, cella and frigida look the same as nominative forms, which can be confusing for learners.

Because Latin adjectives agree with the nouns they describe in gender, number, and case.

Here:

• cella frigidā: both are feminine singular ablative
• puls calida: both are feminine singular nominative

So the matching forms show which adjective belongs with which noun.

That is why the sentence means:

• cold room
• warm porridge

not cold porridge and warm room.

Puls is nominative singular, so it is the subject of the sentence.

Even though it may not look like a familiar nominative ending, its role becomes clear because:

• it matches calida
• the participle parata also agrees with it
• in cella frigida is already taken as a prepositional phrase

So puls calida is the thing that has been prepared.

Yes, a little.

Puls is a third-declension feminine noun meaning something like porridge, pottage, or gruel. Its dictionary form is:

• puls, pultis

Because it does not have a very obvious nominative ending, English-speaking learners may not immediately recognize it as the subject.

Parata est is a perfect passive form.

It is made from:

• parata = the perfect passive participle of paro
• est = is

Together they mean:

• has been prepared
• or was prepared

depending on context.

A very useful comparison:

• paratur = is being prepared
• parata est = has been prepared / was prepared

So this sentence is not a simple present action; it describes something already prepared.

Because parata must agree with the subject puls.

Since puls is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

the participle must also be:

• feminine singular nominative = parata

If the subject were masculine singular, Latin would use paratus.
If it were neuter singular, it would use paratum.

Because Latin has no articles.

So puls can mean:

• porridge
• the porridge
• a porridge dish

and the exact force depends on context.

English requires an article much more often than Latin does, so this is a very common adjustment for learners.

No. Latin word order is much freer than English word order.

So these are all possible in Latin:

• In cella frigida puls calida parata est.
• Puls calida in cella frigida parata est.
• Puls in cella frigida parata est calida.
  (less natural, but endings still show the relationships)

Latin uses endings, not just position, to show how words fit together. In this sentence, putting in cella frigida first helps set the scene: in the cold room.

Sometimes, yes.

A perfect passive participle with sum can describe either:

• a completed action: has been prepared / was prepared
• a resulting state: is prepared / is ready

So parata est can sometimes feel a bit like is ready, especially if the context emphasizes the finished condition rather than the act itself.

The broader context usually tells you which English translation is best.