Soror rogat utrum flumen magnum in Aegypto sit, et magistra de eo narrat.

Utrum introduces an indirect yes/no question. After rogat (asks), Latin uses utrum to mean whether:

• rogat utrum ... sit = she asks whether ... is

In English, we can often leave out whether, but Latin usually marks this kind of question clearly.

Because the clause after rogat is an indirect question, Latin normally uses the subjunctive.

So:

• direct question: Estne flumen magnum in Aegypto? = Is there a great river in Egypt?
• indirect question: rogat utrum flumen magnum in Aegypto sit = she asks whether there is a great river in Egypt

Here sit is the present subjunctive of esse (to be).

Aegypto is ablative singular.

It is used after in because in with the ablative usually means in or inside a place:

• in Aegypto = in Egypt

If in showed motion into a place, it would usually take the accusative instead.

Both word orders are possible in Latin.

• flumen magnum
• magnum flumen

Both mean a great river. Latin word order is more flexible than English because the endings show how words relate to each other. The adjective magnum agrees with flumen in:

• gender: neuter
• number: singular
• case: nominative

So even if the order changes, the grammar stays clear.

We know from both meaning and form.

• flumen is nominative singular
• magnum matches it and describes it
• sit is singular, so it fits a singular subject

So flumen magnum is the thing being talked about: the great river.

Rogat is from rogare, which often means to ask.

Here it means:

• soror rogat = the sister asks

It can sometimes also mean asks for or asks someone, depending on context, but in this sentence it clearly introduces a question.

De eo means about it or about him, depending on context.

Here eo refers back to flumen magnum, which is a neuter singular noun. Because of that, the pronoun is also neuter singular:

• id = it
• eius = of it
• ei = to/for it
• eo = about it / by it / with it / from it, depending on the preposition or usage

So:

• magistra de eo narrat = the teacher tells about it

Because it follows the preposition de, and de takes the ablative.

So:

• de eo = about it
• de puero = about the boy
• de flumine = about the river

The ablative here is required by the preposition.

Narrat means tells, relates, or narrates.

In this sentence:

• magistra de eo narrat = the teacher tells about it

Depending on the English translation, you might also see:

• the teacher talks about it
• the teacher tells a story about it
• the teacher describes it

Latin often uses esse (to be) where English uses there is.

So:

• flumen magnum in Aegypto est/sit

can be understood as:

• a great river is in Egypt
• more natural English: there is a great river in Egypt

Latin does not need a separate word like English there in this kind of sentence.

Both main actions are presented as happening now, or as a general classroom situation:

• rogat = asks
• narrat = tells
• sit = present subjunctive in the indirect question

Latin often uses the present in straightforward narrative or teaching examples like this.

Sometimes Latin can leave out utrum in an indirect yes/no question, especially in some authors, but learners will very often see it included because it makes the structure clear.

So this sentence with utrum is very standard and easy to recognize:

• rogat utrum ... sit = asks whether ... is

Because Latin does not rely mainly on word order to show the subject. The noun magistra is in the nominative singular, so it naturally serves as the subject of narrat.

So the second part is:

• et magistra de eo narrat = and the teacher tells about it

Latin often places the subject after et quite naturally.

Latin has no articles like English the or a.

So soror could mean:

• the sister
• a sister
• sometimes just sister, depending on context

The exact choice in English depends on the larger context, not on a separate Latin word.

It has two main parts joined by et:

1. Soror rogat utrum flumen magnum in Aegypto sit

   • main verb: rogat
   • indirect question: utrum ... sit

2. et magistra de eo narrat

   • main verb: narrat

So the structure is:

• The sister asks whether ...
• and the teacher tells about it