Si venter inanis est, etiam puls simplex dulcis videtur.

It has two parts:

• Si venter inanis est = if the stomach is empty
• etiam puls simplex dulcis videtur = even simple porridge seems sweet

So it is a straightforward if-clause + main clause sentence.

Si means if and introduces a condition.

In this sentence, it sets up a simple real condition:

• Si venter inanis est = If the stomach is empty

This is a very common Latin pattern:

• si
  • clause
• then the result in the main clause

Venter is nominative because it is the subject of est.

• venter = the stomach / belly
• inanis est = is empty

So literally:

• venter inanis est = the stomach is empty

Since the stomach is the thing being described, it appears in the nominative case.

Because inanis is a third-declension adjective.

Its nominative singular forms are:

• masculine/feminine: inanis
• neuter: inane

Since venter is masculine singular, Latin uses:

• venter inanis

A learner might expect a first/second-declension adjective ending like -us, but inanis belongs to a different adjective pattern.

Puls is nominative singular because it is the subject of videtur.

• puls = porridge / pottage
• videtur = seems

So:

• puls ... videtur = porridge seems ...

Even though English sometimes feels less direct with seems, Latin still treats the thing that seems a certain way as the subject.

Puls is a noun meaning porridge, pottage, or a kind of simple gruel.

A useful detail is that it is a third-declension feminine noun:

• nominative singular: puls
• genitive singular: pultis

Because it is feminine singular, the adjectives describing it must also be feminine singular in form.

Because both are describing puls, which is nominative singular.

Here they function as predicate/descriptive words with the subject:

• puls simplex = simple porridge
• dulcis videtur = seems sweet

So both adjectives agree with puls:

• simplex = nominative singular feminine here
• dulcis = nominative singular feminine here

Latin uses the nominative for predicate adjectives after verbs like est and videtur.

Because Latin is saying that the porridge seems sweet, not that it seems sweetly.

In other words, dulcis describes the subject (puls), not the manner of the verb.

Compare:

• puls dulcis est = the porridge is sweet
• puls dulcis videtur = the porridge seems sweet

So dulcis is a predicate adjective, not an adverb.

Because its subject, puls, is singular.

• puls = singular
• videtur = seems (third person singular)

If the subject were plural, the verb would be plural too.

Videtur literally comes from video in the passive form and originally means is seen. But very often in Latin it means seems or appears.

So here:

• dulcis videtur = seems sweet

This is a very common use of videor, videri in Latin.

Etiam means even here.

It emphasizes the surprising idea in the main clause:

• even simple porridge seems sweet

In context, it especially highlights puls simplex: not fancy food, but even plain porridge tastes good when someone is hungry.

Latin adverbs like etiam are often somewhat flexible in position, so you understand their emphasis from context as much as from exact placement.

Latin word order is more flexible because the endings show the grammatical relationships.

English prefers:

• If the stomach is empty, even simple porridge seems sweet.

Latin gives:

• Si venter inanis est, etiam puls simplex dulcis videtur.

A few things to notice:

• venter inanis est puts the adjective before est
• puls simplex keeps noun + adjective together
• dulcis comes before videtur, which is very natural in Latin

So the sentence does not need to match English word order to be clear.

Yes. Latin often allows different word orders without changing the basic meaning.

For example, you might also see arrangements like:

• Si venter est inanis, etiam simplex puls dulcis videtur
• Si venter inanis est, puls etiam simplex dulcis videtur

But the original order is perfectly natural. Different placements may change emphasis slightly, but not the core meaning.

It works very well as a proverbial or general truth.

The idea is:

• when someone is hungry, even plain food seems delicious

So grammatically it is just a normal sentence, but stylistically it sounds like a saying or observation about human nature.

Because Latin has no definite or indefinite articles.

So:

• venter can mean the stomach or a stomach
• puls can mean the porridge, porridge, or some porridge

English has to choose an article when translating, but Latin does not mark that distinction directly.

It can look unusual to English-speaking learners because it is a third-declension one-termination adjective.

Its dictionary form is:

• simplex, simplicis = simple, plain

The nominative singular is simplex for masculine, feminine, and neuter. So here:

• puls simplex = simple porridge

That is why it does not change to something like simpla.

Yes. Venter can mean belly, stomach, or paunch depending on context.

In this sentence, stomach sounds more natural in English because the idea is about hunger:

• If the stomach is empty...

But belly would not be wrong.