Post cenam pater et mater in atrio sedent et concentum filiae libenter audiunt.

Because post is a preposition that takes the accusative case when it means after.

• cena = dinner, meal
• cenam = accusative singular of cena

So post cenam means after dinner.

With in, Latin uses two different cases depending on the meaning:

• in + ablative = in/on a place, with no movement
• in + accusative = into a place, with movement toward it

Here the parents are already sitting there, so there is no motion. That is why Latin uses the ablative:

• in atrio = in the atrium

If the sentence meant they go into the atrium, you would expect in atrium.

They are the people doing the actions:

• sedent = they sit / are sitting
• audiunt = they hear / listen to

Also, both nouns are in their nominative singular forms:

• pater = father
• mater = mother

Together they make a compound subject: father and mother.

Because two singular nouns joined by et make a plural subject.

So:

• pater = father
• mater = mother
• pater et mater = father and mother

Since the subject is plural as a whole, the verbs are plural too:

• sedent = they sit / are sitting
• audiunt = they hear / listen

It can mean either one.

Latin present tense often covers both:

• they sit
• they are sitting

Context decides which English translation sounds best.

The same is true for audiunt:

• they hear
• they are listening to

Libenter is an adverb meaning:

• gladly
• willingly
• with pleasure

It modifies the verb audiunt, so the idea is that they gladly listen.

It does not describe the daughter or the song; it describes how the parents listen.

Concentum is accusative singular, because it is the direct object of audiunt:

• they listen to what?
• concentum

A learner might expect -um to be a 2nd-declension ending, but here the noun is actually 4th declension:

• nominative singular: concentus
• accusative singular: concentum

So concentum means song / singing / music / harmonious sound as the thing being heard.

Here filiae is best understood as genitive singular:

• filiae = of the daughter

So:

• concentum filiae = the daughter's singing or the daughter's song

This is a very common Latin pattern:

• thing possessed first
• possessor in the genitive after it

Yes. Filiae is a form with several possible meanings:

• genitive singular = of the daughter
• dative singular = to/for the daughter
• nominative plural = daughters
• vocative plural = daughters

But in this sentence, genitive singular makes the best sense:

• concentum filiae = the daughter's singing

A dative would not fit naturally here, and nominative plural would disrupt the sentence structure.

Latin shows possession with the genitive case, not with an apostrophe.

So English:

• the daughter’s song

becomes Latin:

• concentus filiae in nominative
• concentum filiae here, because concentum is accusative

The idea is the same, but Latin expresses it through case endings instead of punctuation.

Classical Latin has no articles.

So a noun like pater can mean:

• father
• the father
• sometimes even a father

You decide from context what sounds right in English. The same is true for:

• mater
• filiae
• atrio
• concentum

Latin often leaves out possessive words when the relationship is already clear from context.

Here, pater et mater are listening to filiae singing, and the natural understanding is their daughter.

Latin does not need to spell that out unless there is a reason for emphasis or contrast.

Yes. Latin word order is much freer than English word order because the endings show the grammatical relationships.

This sentence is arranged as:

• Post cenam = time
• pater et mater = subject
• in atrio = place
• sedent = first verb
• et = and
• concentum filiae = object phrase
• libenter = adverb
• audiunt = second verb

English relies heavily on position, but Latin can move elements around for emphasis, rhythm, or style. Even so, this sentence is quite natural and clear.

In a Roman house, the atrium was the central hall or open interior space of the home.

So in atrio does not just mean some random room; it evokes a specifically Roman domestic setting.

A helpful breakdown is:

• concentum = direct object, what they hear
• filiae = genitive, whose singing it is
• libenter = adverb, how they listen
• audiunt = verb, they listen / hear

So the structure is:

• They gladly hear the daughter’s singing

That is a good example of how Latin often packs meaning into noun endings rather than separate helper words.